On Friday, December 14, the Governor of new Jersey Phil Murphy , signed a bill under which it is prohibited to use wild animals in performances. Thus, the state becomes the first in the country, where no circus, carnival, parade, the fair and the zoo will not be able to show the audience the elephants, tigers and other wild and exotic animals. Earlier, a similar ban was in force only in the districts of Bergen and Passaic, and Jersey city.
The Governor signed the bill called «Law Nosi«in honor of 36-year-old African elephant of a patient with arthritis, which abused the owner of a traveling circus. The court decided to take Nose, and the owner arrested, in 2017. Currently, the elephant lives at the animal shelter.
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In January we reported that «the Law Nosi» was unanimously passed by the Senate and received only 2 votes in the Assembly. The last step, whereby animals would be saved from abuse, was the approval of this bill by Governor Chris Christie. But, shortly before he left office, Christie has refused to sign the bill. Now did his successor, Phil Murphy.
«I am proud to have signed the «Law Nose» and I guarantee that NJ will not allow wild and exotic animals have been subjected to exploitation and abuse in our state,» said Murphy in a statement. «Animals should be in their natural habitat or sanctuaries, not to participate in the performances, where the safety of animals and others at risk».
The authors of the bill — Senator Neal Cruz pérez and Assembly members Raj Mukherji, His Holly and Andrew Zwicker. Bill was one of the last steps in the national movement for the protection of wild animals.
Not only new Jersey stood up for participating in a circus show animals. Illinois and new York have banned the use of elephants in traveling performances in the past year, and Hawaii are considering legislation banning the import of wild animals, which actually will drive here no performances using wild animals, said Rachel Mathews from PETA.
«It’s a great day for elephants, tigers and other wild animals, who are beaten in circuses and who spend their lives in cages and chains,» said Matthews. «PETA are so grateful to the authors of the bill that in new Jersey will be no more such ill-treatment [of animals]».
- The ban across the state follows the other two bills adopted in 2016. Bergen County has imposed a ban on shows with exotic and wild animals in the district in July 2016 at the request of animal rights activists. In the district of Passaic, a similar ban was adopted in November of the same year.
