Traveling Animal Act Ban (Maryland)
H.B. 379/S.B. 0547
This bill would prohibit the participation of a bear, cougar, elephant, jaguar, leopard (excluding clouded leopards), lion, nonhuman primate, tiger, or any hybrid of these animals in a traveling act in Maryland.
Status
The Animal Legal Defense Fund supports this bill.
Sponsors: Delegate Sara Love (D-16); State Sen Sarah Elfreth (D-30) 6
Introduction Date: January 17, 2024
If enacted, H.B. 379/S.B. 0547 would prohibit the use of certain animals in traveling acts and circuses in Maryland. The prohibited species include bears, cougars, elephants, jaguars, leopards (excluding clouded leopards), lions, nonhuman primates, tigers, or a hybrid of any of these animals. It would also provide for a civil penalty of $2,000 per violation.
Captive wild animals in traveling shows spend most of their days in cramped, barren cages, deprived of the ability to engage in their natural behaviors. Forced to perform frightening and sometimes painful “tricks,” they often endure a lifetime of misery.
Similar legislation has passed in multiple U.S. states and more than 150 cities across the country.
Why is this law important? Animals forced to perform in traveling acts are commonly subjected to abusive training methods, prolonged confinement, and neglect. Animals’ exploitation in these shows also puts the public and law enforcement at risk when animals escape. Exploiting wild animals isn’t entertainment — it’s abuse.
Coalition Support: The Humane Society of the United States
For more information about animal protection legislation in Maryland and opportunities to take action for animals, visit aldf.org/maryland.
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