The show must go on, but COVID-19 and animal ban threaten French circuses

A camel is pictured at the Royal Circus home base in Senas as circus shows remained shut as part of COVID-19 restrictions measures to fight the coronavirus disease outbreak in France, February 9, 2021. William Kerwich, owner of the Royal Circus and President of the Circus and Shows Animals Union, denounced also an animal welfare bill?which is debated by French lawmakers that would ban using wild animals in traveling circuses and keeping dolphins and whales in captivity in marine parks. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard

SENAS, France (Reuters) - William Kerwich hasn't performed a circus show since March. Instead, his family's travelling circus has been parked on a plot of land in southern France, his lions and tigers confined to their pens and his main tent packed up.

Kerwich can only guess when the COVID-19 crisis will ease enough for the government to allow his circus to resume entertaining crowds. Even then he faces another threat to his livelihood: a likely ban on wild animals in circuses.