Colombia Prohibits Use of Animals in Circuses

Both traveling and non­traveling circuses are no longer allowed to use wild animals in their acts, according to a new statute recently passed by the Colombian Congress. Efforts to ban animals in circuses were headed by animal ­rights group Animal Defenders International, which launched a six­-year campaign to stop animals from being used for entertainment. Colombia is the fifth South American country to institute such a ban, following the steps of Bolivia, Ecuador, Paraguay, and Peru. Circus groups have two years to find new homes for the elephants, chimpanzees, and tigers among other animals. “After this momentous decision, it is important that these animals are allowed to live out their days, free from the circus and the suffering they have endured,” shares ADI’s chief executive Jan Creamer.