Across the country as we speak, thousands of animals are being confined, transported and manipulated…all so that they can be put on display and forced to interact with the public as part of mobile zoo events.
In 2016, Captive Animals (then known as CAPS) released a report documenting the growth of mobile zoos, and sadly since that date the number of mobile zoos in England has only risen, and the situation for animals has become more dire.
For that reason, we realised the urgent need for further research on this important issue. That is why we have now released a new, groundbreaking report called ‘Mobile Zoos, Mobile Misery: An Examination of the Licensing, Welfare, and Other Issues Relating to Travelling Animal Exhibitions in England’.
The report sheds light on the harsh realities animals face in mobile zoos across England, and how their lives are not only being exploited, but left unprotected by the current animal welfare legislation covering this industry. Read it here:
Click the image above to read the summary report.
Click HERE to read the full report.
What we uncovered whilst investigating events for this report was shocking, with animals witnessed to be:
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Transported and held in small, inappropriate temporary enclosures that lacked basic necessities such as fresh water, adequate shelter, and species-specific enrichment.
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Held on display without species specific care needs present, such as essential heat sources for reptiles, in a range of poor weather conditions.
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Constrained and forced to interact with humans for hours a day. Animals were witnessed shaking in distress, and were prevented from escaping human contact even when clearly attempting to remove themselves from stressful interactions.
We are dedicated to ending the use of animals for entertainment. This research has only strengthened the evidence that travelling animal exhibitions are exploitative, profit driven events, which by their very transient nature cause animal suffering and neglect.
That is why we are calling for an outright ban on the use of animals in mobile exhibitions, as we believe this to be the only way to protect animals from mistreatment, inadequate living conditions, and high-stress environments.
How you can help: