06/19/2026
A new Illinois law will ban big cats, bears, and primates from traveling circuses โ and the USDA's evidence explains exactly why. ๐พ
HB 4255 prohibits using big cats, bears, and primates in traveling circuses, fairs, and live performances. The Senate approved it 51โ4, the House passed it 76โ33, and it now waits for the governor's signature.
Illinois was the first state to ban elephants in traveling shows in 2017, but exhibitors started using other wild animals instead. The USDA confiscated an underweight tiger cub from a circus โ the sole survivor of a litter of three, possibly in**ed from sibling tigers. At the 2025 Sangamon County Fair, costumed capuchin monkeys were strapped onto racing dogs. The USDA cited that exhibitor for solitary confinement of social primates. HB 4255 fixes that legal gap.
Eight states already have similar laws. These animals spend most of their lives in transport cages between shows. A few minutes under the spotlight is just a fraction of what they live through on the road.