Portugal’s circus owners soon will have six months to register all of the wild animals they have in their shows. They then will then be licensed to keep these animals for up to six years before having to hand them over to the authorities.
Parliament today approved a bill to curb, not ban, the use of wild animals in circuses. The new law updated the 2009 legislation and provides for a national register of circus animals which will have to be completed within six months after the publication of the law.
Owners will have to register the animals they have and will not be allowed any more. On registration, the State will grant a provisional licence from between six months and six years, after which the animals will have to be handed over and it will be up to the government to find appropriate homes for them.
There also is a scheme for, "circuses or artists who own animals that wish to proceed with the voluntary delivery of the animals," after which they are prevented from acquiring new animals.
The professional retraining of circus workers will be helped with a raft of financial incentives to be created by the Government within the first 180 days after the entry into force of the law.
This law has a wide exemption for companies that use wild animals for entertainment and for, ‘thematic fairs’, of which there are as many as there are circuses.
Dogs, cats, clowns and horses, may continue to be used by circus owners.
