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What’s Wrong with Animals in Circuses?
Unfortunately the lives of millions of animals, many of them exotic, are threatened due to
the entertainment industry. Although many of us can agree that we enjoy watching
animals, is it worth the price of their misery?
One of the larger contributors to cruelty is circuses. Although the animal may seem at ease
jumping through rings of fire or riding a bicycle, the fact is that these notions are totally
bazaar and unnatural to the animal performing them. In order to scare the animal into
performing such tricks, trainers will use electric prods, whips, food deprivation, surgically
removing or impairing teeth and claws or use bull-hooks (a tool used with a hook usually
made of bronze or steal which strikes elephants in order to train the animal by fright).
Elephant Sanctuary owner and former elephant trainer claims, “[U]sing punishment to
instill a sense of fear is standard practice in the circus industry. The elephants are
conditioned through physical pain and mental intimidation that they must obey commands.
All elephants used in circuses are trained in this fashion.”
These exotic animals are in most cases either bred into the circus or captured through the
wild. Though many exotic animals in foreign countries are protected by sanctuaries and
protection leagues, many are steal under threat of human greed. Ripped away from
families, animals become defenseless with our weaponry only later to be forced into before
unnatural acts for spectators. Unfortunately, life doesn’t get much better for these animals
as many circuses are poorly funded and thus unable to provide adequate veterinary care.
This veterinary care is crucial considering the travelling conditions which mold the animal
physically and mentally. For example, According to a study by the Born Free Foundation,
animals who are confined in crates or stalls for large periods of time (such often done by
circuses during winter off seasons) where animals are sometimes even kept in trucks)
elephants spend 22% of their time in abnormal actions, such as repeated head- bobbing or
swaying, and confined bears spend about 30% of their time pacing.
Even if these shows are aimed and promoted towards children and families, what message
are we sending our children when we show them such behavior? When our children
Education Office, Dublin SPCA, Mount Venus Road, Rathfarnham, Dublin 16
Tel: 01 4994700 ext. 705/710
www.dspca.ie
email: [email protected] or [email protected]
What’s Wrong with Animals in Circuses?
witness animals being prodded and beaten seeing animals deprived of their natural states,
they are in danger of developing irregular social values. According to animal behaviorist,
author, and anthropologist, Dr. Desmond Morris, "The idea that it is funny to see wild
animals coerced into acting like clumsy humans, or thrilling to see powerful beasts reduced
to cringing cowards by a whip cracking trainer is primitive and medieval. It stems from the
old idea that we are superior to other species and have the right to hold dominion over
them."
Animals in circuses are forced to live uncomfortable, cruel lives for only the gain of our
entertainment and the manager’s pocketbook. Thankfully, there are a number of circuses
popping all over that refuse to use any animal acts. We ask that you support these circuses
because seeing trained acrobats, clowns, and dancing is a lot more entertaining than a
animal being humiliated with torture on stage.
The following as circuses that do NOT use animals in their performances:
Afrika! Afrika!
Circus Hilarious
Bassline Circus
Circus of Horrors
Big Kid Circus
Circus Starr
Billy Smart’s Circus
Circus Oz
Blackpool Tower Circus
Circus Zapparelli
Bulgarian State Circus
Cirque Plume
Chinese State Circus
Cirque Surreal
Cirque de Normandy
Flying Fruit Fly Circus
Cirque du Soleil
Foolhardy Folk Circus
Circus Ferrel
Happy's Circus
Education Office, Dublin SPCA, Mount Venus Road, Rathfarnham, Dublin 16
Tel: 01 4994700 ext. 705/710
www.dspca.ie
email: [email protected] or [email protected]
What’s Wrong with Animals in Circuses?
Jay Miller’s
NoFit State Circus
John Lawson’s Circus
Santus Circus
Moscow State Circus
Swamp Circus
No Fit State Circus
Uncle Sam’s American Circus
Education Office, Dublin SPCA, Mount Venus Road, Rathfarnham, Dublin 16
Tel: 01 4994700 ext. 705/710
www.dspca.ie
email: [email protected] or [email protected]