RSPCA slams Gold Coast City Council's lifting of animal circuses ban

The Royal Society for the Protection of Animals (RSPCA) says the Gold Coast City Council has taken a backward step by overturning a ban on circuses with exotic animals on council-owned land.

Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate used his casting vote to overturn the ban after a deadlocked vote at a Council meeting on Tuesday.

RSPCA spokesman Michael Beatty says the Council decision is disappointing, stating "that animals are transported around the country in what you can really only call the beast wagons is just not acceptable.

"Obviously they can't go back to the wild per se, but they can at least in this day and age go to open plains zoos where people, children in particular, can go and see them exhibit their normal behaviours."

Beatty highlighted that the RSPCA is not suggesting people who have exotic animals in circuses deliberately mistreat them.

However, he added "we're simply saying that in this day and age, to go and see animals exhibit unnatural behaviours and try to even vaguely think that way you're learning about the habits of those exotic animals is just ridiculous."

A small group of protestors gathered outside council chambers during the vote to urge Councillors to maintain the ban.

Councillor Dawn Crichlow told the ABC that the ban made no sense, saying that circuses have been allowed on private and government-owned land and the people have voted with their feet.

Councillor Crichlow stated "we can't put bans on circuses on private property, so the circuses could still come to town but we had a ban just on council land, the ratepayers own that land, the ratepayers clearly said we want the circuses on our land, so I'm very pleased with the result.

"After we put the ban on, Stardust Circus came to state-owned Parklands ... that was September 2011 and thousands went to that.

"Let the people decide whether or not they want to go to a circus."

8th July 2009 - ANIMAL CIRCUSES MORE POPULAR THAN RUGBY AND BALLET