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Council's circus animal welfare concern By Linda Silmalis A SYDNEY council has banned circuses from its area amid claims that using exotic animals in shows is no longer appropriate. In a move likely to be hailed by animal liberation groups, Parramatta City Council last week voted unanimously to cease hiring its parks and reserves to circus operators. The ban has been welcomed by the RSPCA, which has been campaigning councils to follow the lead of Britain, where more than 200 local authorities have banned circus performances using wild animals. The decision signals the end of an era for one of our oldest circuses, the Lennon Bros Circus, which has toured through the region for more than a century. It will also affect a sister circus, Stardust, which features lions and elephants. Parramatta Lord Mayor David Borger said the council's decision reflected growing objections in the community to the use of wild animals as entertainment. Although the authorities had not received any animal cruelty complaints against Lennon Bros Circus, the issue was the overall welfare of wild animals in circuses, Mr Borger said. "The community doesn't think it's appropriate that we have lions and tigers sitting on the backs of trucks on Parramatta Rd as they're transported across town," he said. The council report recommending the ban said the move was in response to a large number of submissions from residents near Granville Park – the site used by the Lennon Bros Circus and Stardust Circus. They are among the few remaining circuses in Australia that have exotic animals such as monkeys, lions and elephants. Stardust Circus has five lions and Lennon Bros Circus has seven, including four cubs. Stardust manager Jan Lennon said its shows were well received, with audience numbers averaging around 500 a night. "Our animals are happy. The circus is the only life they know, and they're treated very well," she said. The Sunday Telegraph |
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