Bolivia Bans Wild and Domestic Animals in Traveling Circuses

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Environment News Service

Bolivia Bans Wild and Domestic Animals in Traveling Circuses

LA PAZ, Bolivia, July 14, 2009 (ENS) - Bolivian President Evo Morales has signed the world's first law prohibiting the use of both wild and domestic animals in traveling circuses.

This is the first national law to ban the use of both domestic and wild animals in circuses. To date, Croatia, Singapore, Austria, Israel and Costa Rica have all banned wild animals in circuses. Similar bans on animal use in traveling circuses in Costa Rica, Finland and Denmark only prohibit the use of wild animals or certain species.

The Bolivian law, signed earlier this month, was tabled by Congresswoman Ximena Flores of Potosi. It is expected to be published shortly.

The law arose as a result of evidence gathered during an undercover investigation by the nonprofit Animal Defenders International.


Read more: http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/jul2009/2009-07-14-02.asp

[flvegan]

1. Excellent!

I like to see animal-free circus' across the board, worldwide. No sense to have such documented abuse simply as an attempt to entertain folks.

Nice work, Animal Defenders International!

[rabs]

2. Meanwhile, in Colombia ...

(Cross posting from Latin America forum.)



AFP/Getty Images
Colombian soldiers pose next to a hippopotamus killed by two professional hunters in Puerto Berrio. A government agency ordered the hippo killed as a health risk and a menace to farmers and fishermen.

By Chris Kraul
July 15, 2009
Reporting from Bogota, Colombia -- The government-ordered killing of a hippopotamus that escaped from the ranch once owned by the late drug kingpin Pablo Escobar has raised an outcry among Colombian animal rights groups.

The hippo, nicknamed Pepe, was killed last month near the town of Puerto Berrio, about 100 miles northwest of Bogota. An environmental agency in Antioquia state ordered the hippo killed as a health risk and menace to farmers and fishermen, and the national Environment Ministry approved the killing.

The killing came to light last weekend when photos were published showing soldiers who helped corner the animal posing around the carcass like big-game hunters. The hippo was killed by two professional hunters using high-powered rifles.

On Tuesday, protesters picketed the Environment Ministry here and demanded that the government rescind the Antioquia state order that authorizes the killing of a female hippo, called Matilda, and her baby, Hip, who are thought to be Pepe's mate and offspring.

"It is an outrage that the same government that allows the torture of bullfighting and cockfighting is now endorsing the murder of hippopotamuses," said picketer Marcela Ramirez, president of the Animal and Environmental Protection Network.


(The hunters also got orders to kill Matilda, Pepe's mate and their baby hippo, Hip.)

Full story:

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-colombia-hippos15-2009jul15,0,235800.story

[damntexdem]

8. The hippo is not native to Colombia; and can be a health risk -- very dangerous.

In such a case, it should either be captured or killed. Now, capturing a live hippo can be a daunting, not to mention dangerous, undertaking. I cannot fault the order to kill it, nor the actual killing.

[Bacchus39]

11. yeah, hippos roaming in Colombia isn't exactly a good idea

what else were they supposed to do? feral pigs cause great havoc in the US, and many states encourage their hunting to get rid of them.

[troubledamerican]

13. Meanwhile, in Colombia: Alvaro Uribe's Death Squads & mass graves.

Hippos? Who cares?

There are more displaced persons in Colombia under "U.S. ally" Alvaro Uribe

than ANY OTHER NATION ON EARTH but Sudan.

http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0620/p12s01-woam.html

And now: The Latin oligarch defenders will pour out of the woodwork, disguised as DUers, to defend Alvaro Uribe:

[No Elephants]

3. Good. Hope we follow suit soon. If people want to be clowns or acrobats, great.

[damntexdem]

9. And if people want to use animals in circuses, great.

The only restrictions should involve protection of endangered or threatened species.

[tomm2thumbs]

4. Cirque du Soleil is doing just fine - no irony there

'Circus animals' are like old-Vegas dog acts... something which should be left to the dustbin of history

[shellgame26]

5. Hurray

for pissed off elephants everywhere.

[Dutch]

6. Fantastic, good for them; hopefully less civilised parts of the world will catch up with them soon

[damntexdem]

7. More work for Cirque du Soleil.

But I hate the capitulation to animal-rights nutcases.

[BOG PERSON]

10. "Democracy in action"

Those animals have rights, you know. Next stop is the gulag for them. Or a cozy bureaucratic job. Or something.

[Bacchus39]

12. I wonder how the street/wild dog problem in Bolivia is n/t

s