Why camel rides are still offered at The Big E after circus bill signed in Mass.

You won’t see lions, elephants or bears at The Big E anymore. But you will still see camels, goats and cows.

In August, Gov. Maura Healey signed a bill regulating the use of elephants, big cats, primates, giraffes and bears in traveling exhibits and shows. Massachusetts is the sixth state in the US to pass this type of legislation.

“For years, circuses have harmed the welfare of animals for the sake of entertainment, allowing animals to suffer in poor living conditions and stressful environments,” Healey said in a press release. “I’m grateful to the Legislature for taking the steps needed to prevent this kind of animal mistreatment in Massachusetts.”

Sheryl Becker of Western Mass. Animal Rights Advocates cites Beulah, a 54-year-old Asian elephant who died at the Big E in 2019, as a public tipping point that helped Becker’s consortium of animal rights groups pass and get signed into law.

The law doesn’t go into effect until Jan. 1 but no exotic animals are at The Big E this year, said Big E president and CEO Eugene Cassidy.

Cassidy said he regrets that there will be no exotic animals. In his view, exotic species, like elephants or big cats in the circus, give people, especially children, a chance to see the animals up close and learn about them.

Cassidy said he’s heard from people who remember that seeing such creatures at the Big E inspired them to become veterinarians specializing in large animals.

“We are the real thing, You come to the fair to experience first-hand events,” he told The Republican. “We are noted for our ability to educate people.”

However, camels are considered domestic animals by the standards of the USDA, similar to alpacas and llamas.

Camels rides are offered next to the petting zoo, where another camel is available to be pet and fed.