PETA approaches Delhi HC seeking ban on animals in circuses
Jul 17, 2020
New Delhi [India], July 17 : The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India, an animal rights organisation, has approached the Delhi High Court seeking directions to impose an immediate ban on the use of animals in circuses across the country.
PETA, in its petition, said that the use of weapons and other abuse of animals is inherent, rampant, and widespread in circuses, which commonly violate the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, 1960, the Performing Animals (Registration) Rules, 2001, the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and the Recognition of Zoo Rules, 2009, among others.
Highlighting the risk that circuses pose in spreading zoonotic diseases, which can spread from animals to humans, PETA sought directions to the Central government to ban the use of animals in circuses by notifying the Performing Animals (Registration) (Amendment) Rules, 2018.
"Elephants have been known to carry tuberculosis, horses to carry glanders, birds to carry psittacosis (parrot fever), and camels to carry camelpox and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (which is caused by a coronavirus). Similarly, COVID-19 is overwhelmingly believed to have first infected humans through wildlife," it said.
Opposing speciesism, the plea said that the animals are not ours to use for entertainment and pointed out that several other countries have banned the use of animals in circuses including Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cyprus, Greece, Guatemala, Italy, and Malta.
"The world is already battling a deadly animal-borne disease - it's high time to stop circuses from dragging stressed and potentially sick animals from town to town," PETA India senior legal counsel Swati Sumbly said in a statement on Thursday.
The plea also points out that animals in circuses are continuously chained or caged and deprived of veterinary care, adequate food, sufficient water, and suitable shelter.
"They are forced to perform confusing, uncomfortable, and even painful tricks and are denied everything natural and important to them. Many display stereotypic, repetitive behaviour indicative of extreme stress," the plea said.
PETA India, in its petition, prayed before the High Court to ensure that animals currently used by circuses are sent to sanctuaries or rehabilitation centres in the case of animals like elephants, horses, camels, and birds - or, in the case of dogs, adopted into loving homes.
It said that following a complaint by PETA India raising concerns about the plight of animals in circuses stranded during the COVID-19 lockdown, the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) - a Central government advisory body -- called on States and Union Territories to identify such circuses, inspect the animals, housing conditions, etc and submit a comprehensive report on each circus to the board.
