Zoos and parks across China will be banned from putting up shows of animal performances for extra profits, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development said in a notice Tuesday.

The notice explains while China's zoo industry has experienced rapid development, a few profit-driven zoos were found improperly caring for the animals or even involved in gross neglect in some cases.

It stipulates that a disciplining of the industry will be carried out and a variety of animal performances must be stopped in three months. Restaurants in zoos and parks are also prohibited from offering food cooked with wild animal meat. The illegal selling of wild animal products is strictly prohibited, said the notice.

Meanwhile, the notice prohibits the commercial use of land in zoos so that more green spaces can be restored to the public.

In this photo taken on December 11, 2009, an elephant was performing in a wild animal park in Xishuangbanna, the southernmost prefecture of Yunnan Province. [Xinhua]