New Jersey could ban circus animal acts

by Reid Wilson - 01/09/18 10:05 AM ET

New Jersey could become first state to ban circus animals.

New Jersey legislators voted Monday to ban elephants and other exotic animals from circuses, carnivals and fairs after two legislators heard about an elephant mistreated by its owner.

The bill now goes to Gov. Chris Christie (R), who has not said whether he will sign it. But the measure passed unanimously in the state Senate and with only two dissenting votes in the state Assembly.

If the bill becomes law, New Jersey would be the first state to ban such animal acts.

“These wild animals are confined oftentimes for days at a time in trailers. It’s cruel, it’s inhuman, and it’s something that we can stop and will stop,” state Sen. Raymond Lesniak (D), the bill’s lead sponsor, said in a floor speech.

The measure, dubbed Nosey’s Law, is named for an elephant owned by the Great American Family Circus based in Orlando, Fla. Last month an Alabama judge ordered county officials to take Nosey away from his owner after the owner was charged with animal cruelty. The 35-year-old elephant has been taken to a Tennessee refuge while his case moves through court, according to AL.com.

“Nosey is the poster child for cruelty against animals,” Lesniak said.

More than 80 U.S. cities and counties currently ban animal performances at circuses and fairs. Los Angeles, Oakland, Burlington, Vt., and Boulder, Colo., are among the cities that do not allow acts featuring wild or exotic animals, according to a list maintained by Four Paws, an animal rights group.

In Europe 23 countries ban at least some wild or exotic animal performances, according to Animal Defenders International, including Austria, Finland, the Netherlands and Sweden.