Wales to develop licensing scheme for mobile animal exhibits
Examples of mobile animal exhibits (MAEs) include travelling falconry and hawing displays, exotic pets taken to schools and reindeer at Christmas events.
The Welsh Government is set to develop a licensing scheme for mobile animal exhibits, following a consultation.
Examples of mobile animal exhibits (MAEs) include travelling falconry and hawing displays, exotic pets taken to schools and reindeer at Christmas events.
A consultation earlier this year found the majority of respondents favoured a licensing scheme over registration. The government will now develop the scheme in partnership with stakeholders and enforcement agencies.
Announcing the decision, cabinet secretary Lesley Griffiths, said: “There is concern the welfare needs of some animals kept by MAEs, including circuses, cannot be met in a travelling environment. MAEs are diverse and there is no standard licensing regime or requirement for routine inspection.”
Government officials are now beginning work on developing the scheme, which Griffiths said “will not be done in isolation”.
She added: “We will need to engage with stakeholders and enforcement agencies in its development, particularly on how we define MAEs, as well as working collaboratively with our counterparts in the other devolved administrations to ensure there are no cross border issues.”
The consultation also asked for views on banning the use of wild animals in circuses. Of the almost 1,000 responses to the consultation, the majority answered only this question and there was strong support for a ban. The licensing scheme will include animals in circuses, but officials will consider this as a separate work stream.
Companies marketing medicines for small pets exempt from authorisation must submit their annual return to the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) by 30 November 2026.
