Jurisdictions which have banned or severely restricted animal acts

CANADA

Quebec - prohibitions in 2 municipal jurisdictions:
· Ville St-Laurent
· Town of Mount Royal

Ontario - prohibitions in 2 municipal jurisdictions:
· Cobourg
· Windsor

British Columbia - prohibitions in 19 municipal jurisdictions:
· Burnaby
· Chilliwack
· Coquitlam
· Cowichan
· Delta
· Kamloops
· Kelowna
· Langley
· Nanaimo
· Nanaimo
· New Westminster
· North Cowichan
· North Vancouver
· Parksville
· Saanich
· Salmon Arm
· Surrey
· Vancouver
· Victoria

Newfoundland - prohibition in City of St.John's and Mount Pearl

Nova Scotia - prohibitions in 5 municipal jurisdictions:
· Argyle
· Bridgewater
· Digby
· Shelburne
· Yarmouth
In 1999, provincial standards for exhibiting circus animals in Nova Scotia were adopted. Circuses may not hold primate, bear, pinniped, cetacean, amphibian or fish species, and must adhere to specified standards for other species.

Denmark
Federal prohibition against exhibitions and performances of all wild animals in place since 1962 (per Law of Protection of Animals)

Finland
Federal prohibition against circus or similar performances including elephants, monkeys, beasts of prey, animals of the seal family, rhinos, hippotami, wild ruminants, marsupials, raptorial birds, ostriches, crocodiles or hoofed animals. (per Animal Protection Law of January 27, 1971, renewed on September 30, 1985.)

Great Britain
Over 220 municipal or county jurisdictions have either prohibited wild animals only or all performing animals. These include Barnsley, Blackpool, Birmingham City, Bournemouth,
Cardiff (Whales), Cambridge, Coventry, Derby, Dover, Dunbarton (Scotland), Eastbourne, Exeter, Lancaster, Liverpool, Maidenhead, Nottingham, Oxford, Portsmouth, Yeomouth, York....

India
The federal government issued a Notification in 1991 prohibiting the exhibition and training of five species of performing animals for entertainment: tigers, monkeys, bears, panthers and lions. The Indian Circus Federation challenged the Notification and the Delhi High Court granted an interim stay (per the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960). The stay was lifted per notification: G.S.R. 619(E), 14th October,1998. The prohibition regarding these 5 species is now in force.

Ireland
Prohibition in City of Belfast.

Norway
Federal prohibition against exhibiting all wild animals in public (per The Animal Protection Law, 1974).

Sweden
Federal prohibition against touring and circus exhibitions of monkeys, predators, with the exception of domesticated dogs and cats, pinnipeds with the exception of sea-lions rhinoceroses, hippopotamuses, deer, giraffes, kangaroos, birds of prey, ratite birds and crocodiles (per the Animal Protection Ordinance, 1988).

Switzerland
Federal prohibition in place.

United States
Prohibitions in several municipal jurisdictions including Collinsville, Illinois; Hollywood, Florida; Lauderdale Lakes, Florida; Quincy, Massachusetts; Redmond, Washington; Revere, Massachusetts; Takoma Park, Maryland. Many US municipal jurisdictions have prohibitions against certain types of animal performances, like bear wrestling, mule diving, elephant rides etc.; these have not been catalogued.

Singapore
Prohibition on the use of wild animals in circuses and travelling shows

Brazil
Prohibition on the use of wild animals in circuses passed by States of Rio de Janeiro (May 2002) & Pernambuco, and cities of Port Alegre, Sao Leopoldo, Cotia, Bauru, Ubatuba, Santa Maria and Sorocaba.

Columbia
Prohibition on the use of wild animals in circuses passed by cities of Bogota and Dos Quebradas.

Costa Rica
Federal prohibition against the use of wild animals in circuses.

Venezuela
Prohibition in the City of Naguanagua