Transportation, Handling and Stress for Animals

Kids' parties and schools often see someone turning up with an array of animals. From reptiles to insects, rabbits, meerkats, birds of prey and many more. It all looks fun and harmless at first glance. But sadly the often wild animals live an unnatural and stressful life. Similar to a life in the circus, the animals can travel hours to events where they will be used to entertain. The animals are transported in carriers to events, often on a daily basis, where they can be handled by reaching hands for hours on end. Wild animals are stressed by handling and even when put back in their temporary enclosure, they have nowhere to hide from the busy crowds, noises and lights. Unable to run free, this is the sad existence for a wild animal trapped in a mobile zoo.

It is not just exotic animals that are at risk. Domesticated animals who are naturally timid, such as rabbits or guinea pigs, can also suffer stress due to repeated handling or as a result of introduction to noisy and crowded environments.

There are currently hundreds of mobile zoos using thousands of individual animals. 

Ever since a whistleblower contacted us about a mobile zoo with serious welfare concerns we have campaigned for an end to mobile zoos. Now, we regularly receive complaints about mobile zoos; enclosures stacked up in houses or a back garden; baby animals taken from their mums for handling experiences; wild animals kept in bare, tiny enclosures. The exploitation is so unnecessary. And we are doing all we can to stop it.

If you are a parent or teacher you can read more in-depth information on our campaign here and access resources for your school or child.

Licensing

In 2018, instead of banning such activities, the government introduced a licensing regime, the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018. Anyone who displays or exhibits animals for commercial purposes in England must obtain a license from the relevant local authority. This includes mobile zoos, bird of prey displays and exhibitions.

License holders are inspected every one to three years, depending on the local authority and the level of risk identified. In Scotland businesses must register with the local authority under the Performing Animals (Regulation) Act 1925. 

Freedom for Animals does not believe licensing such activities work as they do not address the serious animal welfare issues. The inspection regimes are inconsistent between local authorities, with some seeing licensing as a tick-boxing exercise with inspectors (often an environmental health officer) not qualified to understand the welfare and behavioural needs of the animals they are inspecting. 

What can you do?

Take Action!

In November 2024, we released a brand new, groundbreaking report called ‘Mobile Zoo, Mobile Misery: An Examination of the Licensing, Welfare, and Other Issues Relating to Travelling Animal Exhibitions in England’, to shed light on the dark reality animals face within the mobile zoo industry in England, and how their lives are not only being exploited, but left unprotected by the current animal welfare legislation covering this industry.

Click above to read the summary report. 

You can read the report, and join our call for DEFRA to ban the use of animals in mobile zoo exhibition by sending a letter today! Click HERE for more information.

Report it! 

We need your help to report mobile zoos to us! If you see a company advertised or see them appearing at an event, the information can be really helpful in the campaign. You can report it to us here:

REPORT IT

You can also contact your local authority to check if a mobile zoo in your area is licensed and report it if it is not. It is a requirement for license holders to display their license in a prominent position, for the public to see. 

Ban it! 

You can also contact your local councillors and ask them to consider introducing a motion to prohibit mobile zoos from using publicly owned land. 

Promote it!

Raise awareness for animals in mobile zoos by ordering our free campaign leaflets.

Fuel the fight!

You can make a donation to help us further expose mobile zoo cruelty and fight for animal freedom. 

What is Freedom for Animals doing?

Freedom for Animals has been investigating mobile zoos for a number of years, and has been campaigning for local authorities to ban them from publicly owned land, including schools. In 2016, Freedom for Animals (then known as CAPS) released a report documenting the growth of mobile zoos, and sadly since that date the number of mobile zoos in England has only risen, and the situation for animals has only become more dire.

Through research for our most recent report, released in November 2024 - ‘Mobile Zoo, Mobile Misery: An Examination of the Licensing, Welfare, and Other Issues Relating to Travelling Animal Exhibitions in England’ - we discovered over 434 mobile zoo businesses to be operating in England, and, sadly, even this is a conservative figure. Shockingly, only 34% of those 434 businesses were documented to conclusively hold an active Animal Activities Licence with their local authority, leaving 66% potentially unlicensed and operating illegally. As the industry grows, so does animal suffering. We must continue to shed light on the harsh realities animals used in travelling exhibitions face, and stand up for them. That is why...

We are raising awareness about animals in mobile zoos through social media, our website and school talks.

We are providing resources to oppose the use of mobile zoos. Visit our shop HERE to order free campaign materials for protests and outreach events!

We have carried out two rounds of extensive research which has provided solid evidence to Governments showing the scale of the problem. Read the most recent report HERE!

We are continuing to investigate and monitor mobile zoos around the UK.

We are working at Government level to encourage new legislation covering mobile zoos. Join us in calling for DEFRA to bring in an outright ban on animals being used in mobile zoos HERE!

Together, we can end animal suffering for entertainment in mobile zoos. Join us in this important fight to end the cruel practice of using animals for public display and performance. With your support, we can show lawmakers that this cruelty is not publicly accepted. Animals belong in nature, not on the road for profit.