Latvia endorses bill to ban wild animals in circus

Latvian lawmakers on Thursday endorsed a bill that would ban using wild animals in circus shows while 200 animal rights activists rallied outside the parliament building in support of the draft legislation.

Meanwhile, a much smaller crowd was gathered there to protest the bill.

While some parliamentarians defended the use of animals in circus shows as an age-old tradition, pointing to children's wishes to see animals performing, others argued that circus animals were often kept in dismal conditions and that performances involving animals and their handlers could have an adverse psychological effect on children.

Member of Parliament Inguna Ribena told the parliament during Thursday's debate: "Instead of educating, animal circus creates a callous and inadequate attitude to animals. This is rightfully considered cruel entertainment."

The parliament passed the ban on the use of animals in circus shows in the first reading by 44 votes to 23, with 11 abstentions.

Under the draft legislation, the ban on using animals in circus shows will also apply to traveling circus troupes registered in European Union (EU) and non-EU countries.

The ban, however, will only apply to wild animal species, not to circus performances involving domestic or farm animals.

The ban, which was initiated by the Latvian Food and Veterinary Service in 2015, has been strongly supported by Latvia's animal rights groups such as Animal Freedom, whose online petition "For a Humane Circus" gathered more than 26,000 signatures and was submitted to the parliament.

The parliament has yet to hold the second and third reading of the bill. Endit