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State Duma to discuss ban on animal performances in circuses
In November, the State Duma plans to discuss a ban on animal performances in circuses. The bill was proposed by representatives of the New Democratic Party. The first deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on Ecology, Vladimir Burmatov, criticized the bill. According to him, if the document is adopted, there will be a collapse, RIA Novosti reports. At the same time, Burmatov acknowledged that there are problems, but, in his opinion, they need to be solved consistently, "tightening the screws" in relation to the circus, which, according to Burmatov, always increases the requirements for the maintenance of animals.
In February 2024, the leader of the New People party, Aleksey Nechayev, and the vice-speaker of the House of Representatives, Vladislav Davankov, introduced a bill to the House of Representatives to ban the use of animals in circuses. According to the authors of the bill, circuses do not always fulfill their obligations to properly keep and care for animals. Therefore, "animals kept in circuses should be transferred not only to shelters, but also to rehabilitation centers for wild and exotic animals."
According to Burmatov, the plan's adoption could lead to its collapse, since rehabilitation centers are currently "full." This includes animals taken from domestic zoos, whose activities are deemed illegal, wild animals injured by poachers, and confiscated animals. "What rehabilitation center will accept elephants and tigers when there is such a huge influx of animals?"