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Great news! India has banned the use of all wild animals in circuses!

The Central Zoo Authority (CZA) of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate change (MoEFCC) has canceled the recognition of all circuses in the country that force wild animals to perform tricks in the name of entertainment. This happened after year-long inspections in which extreme animal cruelty was reported.

In 1998, bears, monkeys, tigers, panthers, and tigers were banned from being forced to perform for entertainment acts in India, but elephants were exempt from this law. In 2013, India officially banned elephants from circuses. Thankfully, now all wild animals are banned from being used in circuses.

The CZA member secretary, DN Singh, said there are now no circuses recognized by the governing body, as all circuses investigated were found in violation of the laws that set basic standards for animals in circuses, such as providing animals with adequate shelter and veterinary care.

Singh had this to say in regards to the recent investigations and development: “Deregistration process was carried out based on a series of investigations. The probe showed that animals were being maintained in circuses in cruel conditions and were tortured to extract performances. Some of the owners of circuses even submitted morphed photographs to us in a bid to claim that animals were kept well.”

This new law is fantastic news for wild animals and India, and we hope this movement against animal cruelty continues to gain even more momentum. Several other countries including RomaniaIran, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom, as well as a number of U.S. cities like Los Angeles, New York City, and Portland, Maine have already instated similar legislation that bans the use of wild animals in circuses, showing us that the world as a whole has been making giant strides toward a more humane future.

Don’t forget to share this awesome news with your family and friends!

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