The new animal law has meant some changes in the daily lives of pet owners, but how does it affect one of the main tourist attractions in the Canary Islands?
On September 29, the animal law came into force with some controversy. The main one was the measure to require that dogs, regardless of their breed, have civil liability insurance. A measure that overshadowed the rest of the law and that has led many to be unaware of its details and the effect that this document can have on one of the main tourist attractions of the Canary Islands: zoos and theme parks with animals.
In the Canary Islands we have the Loro Parque in Tenerife, a world reference among zoos and one of the main tourist attractions of the archipelago. However, we also find other parks spread across the islands such as Palmitos Park in Gran Canaria, Rancho Texas Park in Lanzarote or Oasis Wildlife in Fuerteventura.
Although since the law began to be drafted there have been rumors about how this document was going to mean “the end of zoos as we knew them,” the reality is that the new Animal Welfare Law, which has barely been in existence for two years, months in force has not been the great revolution that was thought at the beginning.
Section 2 of article 32 of the recently enacted Law establishes an exception to the prohibition of possession, breeding, trade and exchange of wild fauna animals in captivity.
This exception applies to those animals housed in zoos or similar entities, in the context of the programs outlined by Law 31/2003, of October 27, regarding zoos.
These programs include "ex situ" conservation initiatives designed to contribute to the preservation of biodiversity, as well as education and veterinary care programs. Likewise, this exception covers conservation programs for threatened species in which the competent authorities participate.
In the same way, this law does not mean the end of the renowned orca and cetacean shows in this type of venue, one of the main attractions of Loro Parque with its presentations of orcas and dolphins.
In this sense, the document states that this type of animals can be exhibited for conservation and research purposes and the shows can be carried out as long as they are under the supervision of keepers and professionals, something that has always been accomplished in the parks of the archipelago where they are They carry out these types of activities.
In this way, although the new law has indicated this type of practices, it has not caused changes in the dynamics of this type of tourist attractions that receive millions of tourists a year and that, despite popular belief, are in full boom. A great example of this is Loro Parque, which in 2022 received three million visitors.
