Toetsingskader domesticatie : dertig zoogdiersoorten beoordeeld

An unambiguous distinction between wild and domestic mammal species is of great importance to the legislator in deciding whether or not to allow the use of animals in circuses and other performances. The degree of domestication largely determines to what extent an animal is predisposed to living in captivity in the vicinity of humans. The restrictions in circus practice therefore detract more from the welfare and natureof non-domesticated animals compared to domesticated animals. This report describes what a scientifically based, practical assessment framework, suitable for distinguishing domesticated from wild animal populations, could look like. In this respect, only animal species that can be regarded as highly domesticated are labelled as domesticated. Domestic mammal species are eligible for designation in Appendix IV of theAnimal Keepers Decree. This means that the use of specimens of these species in circuses and other performances is outside the ban. Due to a request to the Minister of LNV to place some thirty mammal species on Appendix IV to the Animal Keepers Decree, it was assessed on the basis of this assessment framework whether or not the aforementioned animal species can be regarded as highly domesticated. Of all thirty assessed species, only red deer (Cervus elaphus) and fallow deer (Dama dama) populations have been described that have undergone some degree of domestication. In general, however, none of the assessed species have populations that are highly domesticated.