An animal welfare group in UK has welcomed reports that the government is planning to ban the use of wild animals in circuses.

Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman is “minded” to outlaw the use of elephants, tigers, lions and other exotic creatures in travelling shows under a policy that has the support of the deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg.

The report comes after an elderly circus elephant with arthritis, called Anne, who was filmed by an animal rights group being abused by her groom, was successfully moved to her new home at a safari park.

A consultation with animal welfare groups and industry representatives concluded last year.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.