Since our beginnings in 1957, Freedom for Animals has always spoken out on behalf of animals trapped in circuses.

As our valued supporter, you have been by our side on this journey, and surely joined us in celebrating when the Wild Animals in Circuses Act 2019 gained Royal Assent five years ago! The Act finally ended the days of elephants, lions, tigers, and other exotic animals being forced to perform cruel and demeaning tricks. But sadly, not all animals were protected by this legislation....some lives were left behind.

A minority of UK circuses have continued to use live animals in performances, limiting their use to those animals not covered by the Act - ‘domestic’ animals.  We know like you, that these animals have instincts, feelings, wants, and needs, and a right to be protected from exploitation and cruelty. 

Throughout 2023 and 2024, we monitored the UKs remaining animal circuses and gathered evidence on their performances and practices, as well as the lives of the individuals travelling with them.

Here’s what we found:

• Animals used across the five circuses investigated included horses and ponies, donkeys and mules, pigeons and doves, llamas, chickens, geese, dogs, cats, and goats.

• Circuses are putting performances ahead of animals’ wellbeing - we observed evidence of stress, fear, and even injury.

• Animal Circuses in the UK in 2023 were found to be operating with frequent and often lengthy travel schedules. Across the five circuses monitored they moved an average of 54 miles every 9 days

• The licensing scheme intended to provide welfare protection for performing animals simply does not work for travelling shows. Most of the licence conditions that apply to circuses cannot be assessed by inspectors visiting one show a year, or a circus’s winter quarters. And if welfare risks need to be reported, how are visitors to know to which local authority to report a travelling animal show?

• Most circuses did not adhere to all of the general conditions of their performing animals licence, if, indeed they have one.

• One circus was found to be travelling with a camel - an animal protected by the Wild Animals in Circuses Act 2019 - and what’s more shocking, this was happening with the full knowledge and consent of the licensing authority!

• Another circus has been found to be selling ‘pet animals’ from their touring sites

• Many animals that are explicitly protected by the Wild Animals in Circuses Act 2019, due to the demonstrable poor welfare that results from travel and performance, are not protected from other types of travel and performance, including camel and reindeer parades at Christmas, and mobile zoos.

We have now sent the report to every local authority in the country, to ask that they make urgent changes to the way they oversee the licensing of circuses. We have also started a government petition asking that our next leaders, whoever they may be, rectify the injustices we have identified by introducing legislation to ban all animals from travelling and performing with circuses.

- Read the report today and find out how you can help make a difference for the Lives Left Behind!

- Sign the live petition, asking the UK government to commit to enacting new legislation to prohibit ALL animals from travelling and performing with circuses - to end the exploitation of animals in circuses in the UK once and for all.

And to help ensure we are always here, standing up against the exploitation of animals used in these terrible ways, please consider donating to the campaign!

We could not have done this work to protect animals from exploitation without you, our loyal supporter, so from the bottom of our hearts, thank you. We will keep you updated on this important campaign - there is much more to come! 

Like you, we will not stop fighting until freedom for all animals is finally achieved.

For the animals,

Isobel McNally
Campaigns Officer
Freedom for Animals

P.S. Our amazing Freedom Champions are people just like you! They want to free animals from suffering in captivity and create a world without cages. Meet more of our Champions here and join them today by setting up a monthly gift. Thank you.