The Denmark government, in order to stop cruelty against animals, has bought four elephants from Danish circuses to give them a proper retirement. The government paid 11 million Danish kroner ($1.6 million) for these elephants, as per reports. The elephants namely, Ramboline, Lara, Djunga, and Jenny, are the last four circus elephants in the country. The Danish government is also planning to implement a total ban on the use of wild animals in circuses later this year.

Denmark against animal cruelty

According to global media reports, the country's Ministry of Environment and Food have said that they are not yet sure where the elephants will live and have appealed to people that anyone who has a suitable space should make themselves known to the government. They also mentioned that the establishment which can offer these elephants the highest level of well-being will be chosen by the government as a home for the elephants. Until the government finds a capable facility for the elephants, an animal rights group, Animal Protection Denmark will take care of them.

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'Looking for a new home'

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The Denmark government will start an application process to choose a zoo which can house the elephants free of charge. As per reports, the zoo which has shown their interest to house these elephants is Knuthenborg Safaripark, it is a 440-hectare park, and it has enough space to accommodate the elephants. The Circus Arena manager Benny Berdino also expressed his feelings while he had to let go of the four circus elephants which belonged to Cirkus Trapez. He said he was “sad to have to say goodbye to the elephants, but was happy they would get good retirement."

Other animal welfare initiatives taken in Europe 

In May 2019, the UK government announced a new law to ban travelling circuses from using wild animals. In August at a big wildlife conference, the UK government had decided that baby African elephants will no longer be taken from the wild in order to be sold to zoos and circuses. Earlier this year, a circus in Germany became the first in the world to use holograms instead of real animals in its acts.

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