JERSEY CITY – The Hudson County Board of Freeholders has introduced an ordinance that would ban traveling shows or circuses that exhibit wild or exotic animals on Hudson County property.
Traveling circuses may include elephants, lions, tigers and bears, which are often the least suited animals for life in a circus, Freeholders spokesman Edgar Martinez said in a press release.
The ordinance does not go as far as a Jersey City law passed in September, which bans circuses anywhere in Jersey City. Bergen County also prohibits circuses on county property.
It is believed that on average, circus animals spend less than 10 percent of their lives performing. At other times, they may be confined in small cages or shackled, often in isolation or inappropriately confined with other species, Martinez said.
Martinez said long-term training, performance, and confinement can have negative health and psychological effects on wild and exotic animals. It can lead to obesity, arthritis and other joint problems, as well as erratic behavior, which may lead to attacks on trainers or the public.
“The Hudson County freeholders are committed to protecting animals from cruel and inhumane treatment,” the press release says. “They also want to protect the public from dangers inherent to traveling exhibitions and acts featuring wild and exotic animals.
The ordinance would be enforced by division within the county Department of Public Safety and the Hudson County Sheriff’s Office.
Our editors found this article on this site using Google and regenerated it for our readers.
