A visit to the circus often causes beaming children’s eyes and amazed spectators due to the exotic animals. Since the well-being of elephants, tigers, and lions are not always so good, the first German city is now pulling the ripcord!
As the Frankfurter Rundschau first reported, a city council meeting in Rodgau in the Offenbach district of Hesse decided at the end of last year that circuses spice up their shows with animals, and should no longer be allowed to perform there.
The ban continues to apply to any event where « animals are displayed ». This means that fairs and fairgrounds are also affected. This gives the town of 43,000 souls an absolutely unique selling point in Germany.
Because nowhere else could the ban on animal performances in the context of circus performances, which had been demanded for a long time, be enforced.
A little further there was the French capital Paris. Because it had already become known there in November 2021 that there would be no animal demonstrations in the ring in the future. A similar proposal was rejected in Germany last June.
But the ban on animal performances in Rodgau also has its limitations. For example, circus performances with animals are only prohibited on properties that are in municipal hands. The city still has no control over private property.
The Animal Welfare Party introduced the proposal for a ban on animals in circuses last year. The smallest party made it into parliament in the local elections last year and has since formed a coalition with the SPD, the Greens, Free Voters, and the FDP.
For the crisis-ridden circus industry, however, the decision is another blow. In view of the Corona crisis, most operators were forced to take forced breaks and forego important income anyway.
However, the Association of German Circus Companies (VDCU) wants to file a lawsuit against the Rodgau ban as soon as possible.
