Spain is Cracking Down on Circuses That Still Use Wild Animals

Wild animals are no longer allowed to perform in circuses across Spain. Circuses had extra time to make the change, but that deadline passed more than two years ago.

Spain approved the ban as part of its 2023 animal welfare law. Circus owners then had six months to change their shows and report any wild animals they still had. That transition period ended in March 2024.

There are now some pretty big consequences for ignoring it. A circus that still uses wild animals can face a fine of up to 200,000 euros.

Before the nationwide ban, the rules depended a lot on where you were in Spain. By 2023, 12 of the country’s 17 autonomous communities had already banned wild animals in circuses, but the new law made the rule apply nationwide.

The Fine Starts At More Than 50,000 Euros

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Spain’s animal welfare law puts using wild species in circus shows in its most serious violation category. The fines run from 50,001 to 200,000 euros.

Circuses can’t simply replace an animal that leaves either. Once the law took effect, Spain stopped issuing new permits and also banned circuses from acquiring or breeding more wild species for performances. They also had to report the species and number of wild animals they still had.

Spain Had Already Been Moving Away From Them

By the time the national law passed, wild-animal circuses had already disappeared from a lot of Spain.

AAP says 12 of the country’s 17 autonomous communities had already adopted bans. More than 80% of Spain’s population lived in areas with restrictions in place.

Catalonia was the first autonomous community to ban wild animals in circuses in 2015. Hundreds of individual towns and cities had made similar moves before the nationwide rule arrived.

Some Former Circus Animals Ended Up At A Rescue Center

The question also arose of what to do with animals that could no longer be used.

In 2017, Circus Wonderland stopped its wild-animal show and turned over one lion and seven tigers to AAP’s Primadomus rescue center in Spain. The animals spent their first four weeks in quarantine there.

By 2023, AAP said about 70% of the big cats at its Spanish rescue center had come from the circus industry.

Spain’s law also requires former circus animals to be moved to an appropriate place for their care. That can include a permanent refuge or sanctuary, and authorities have to supervise the process.