The government of Denmark has recently bought the last of the country’s circus elephants so that they can live the rest of their lives in peaceful retirement.
Reportedly, the government paid 11 million kroner ($1.6 million) for the elephants in anticipation of Denmark passing a ban on wild circus animals later in 2019.
The four elephants, Ramboline, Lara, Djunga, and Jenny, were purchased from two different circuses. Although the government has no immediate plans for where the animals will live out their retirement, Animal Protection Denmark will be caring for the creatures until they find a more permanent home.
The purchase comes not long after the United Kingdom’s government passed a ban on wild animals being used for circus performances in May 2019. Another circus in Germany made headlines in June after they became the first to use holographic animals in their show.
The US has also moved closer to banning the use of circus animals since Hawaii and New Jersey became the first states that issued legislation against the notoriously inhumane practice in December 2019.
While there’s already legislation in 145 US localities which offer certain limitations and restrictions on animal performances, Hawaii and New Jersey’s trail-blazing measures ban the use of any wild animal species, including elephants, lions, bears, tigers, and primates, in circuses and traveling shows.
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