Denmark considers bestiality ban to prevent zoophilia tourism

COPENHAGEN, Denmark - Denmark may join other European countries including Britain, the Netherlands, France and Switzerland in banning bestiality.

The new law was proposed by the government on Sunday, with a senior minister saying it needs to collar bestiality so that the country doesn't become a zoophile hotspot for foreign tourists.

Agriculture food and fisheries minister Dan Jorgensen said the new law will bring Denmark in line with restrictions in European countries including Germany, Sweden and Norway, which could see travelers from those countries visiting Denmark to take advantage of its erstwhile lax rules regarding inter-species sex.

"I proposed a change in the law on the protection of animals to state explicitly that sexual relations with animals are no longer permitted," Jorgensen said in a statement. "Animals have to be treated with respect and care and they have a right to special protection, because they cannot say no," he said.

Having sex with animals is currently legal in Denmark, except in cases where the animal has suffered because of the intercourse.

The Nordic country even has a flourishing businesses in which people pay in order to have sex with animals, according to the Danish newspaper 24timer. However, the laws of its neighbouring countries have left Denmark's animals in vulnerable position, according to animal rights activists.

"When the rules have been tightened in the rest of Europe, there's a risk that Denmark will be considered a refuge for people with this proclivity," the minister said. "That's why I want to send a clear signal that Denmark is not a refuge for people who want to sexually exploit animals."

In the past, the Danish parliament refused to pass a bestiality ban, arguing that Denmark's current laws were sufficient, according to the nations daily paper Ekstra Bladet. However, the government now feels it will win enough votes to pass the law, according to the paper. BigNews