Wild animal acts in circuses have been banned in over 40 countries, with the welfare case against training and performing wild animals now widely accepted.
Wild animals in circuses endure multiple welfare insults simultaneously: confinement in small spaces during transit, exposure to crowds and noise, performance of unnatural behaviors, and social isolation from appropriate conspecific groups. The UK ban followed years of evidence that humane training and housing for touring wild animal acts was impossible in practice. The remaining global use of wild animals in circus contexts reflects regulatory lag behind welfare consensus.