Circuses

(CC) Image by Joe Shlabotnik

Elephants, camels, zebras, horses, rhinos, chimpanzees, tigers and bears are just some of the most frequently exploited animals by the circus industry. Animals used in circuses are continually on the move, confined to crates and trucks where they are often chained and tethered. Once off the road, animals are made to endure harsh training regimes that force them to learn unnatural tricks. Those that are unable to comply with orders receive brutal whippings, beatings and electrocutions. The unnatural living environments animals are condemned to result in high stress levels, arthritis, lameness, physical pain and psychological trauma, leaving an animal damaged for life. Unsuspecting parents and children are lured to the circus through eye catching posters and advertisements that show an animal performing exciting and seemingly impossible tricks.

Confinement

Animals used by circuses are forced to live in extreme conditions, far different to what they would be used to in the wild. Most circuses are travelling circuses, meaning that animals have to travel long distances for most of their lives. Spending many hours or days confined to a trailer exposes animals to weather extremes and leaves them unprotected from the suns rays and freezing temperatures. These trailers are also where the animals eat, drink, urinate and excrete. Circus elephants may be chained for as long as 100 hours straight whilst travelling to the circuses next venue. Lions and tigers are often housed in cages that restrict their movement completely, denying them the ability to turn around.

Cruel Treatment

Circus trainers, more often than not, get away with beating, manhandling and confining animals because training sessions are unmonitored by government agencies. Trainers use bullhooks, whips, electric rods, blowtorches and large sticks to install fear into any animal that fails to obey instructions. Tigers and lions may be dragged by their throats using heavy chains, elephants may be chained into corners and repeatedly whipped, bears may be beaten with rods and camels may be repeatedly whipped. Circuses never use positive reinforcement to teach an animal tricks and instead enforce a policy of fear to force the animals to learn. Elephants used by circuses are sometimes taken from the wild as babies and ‘broken’. This process involves breaking the spirit of the elephant by restraining them using chains while a trainer beats them with a bullhook.

Unnatural Tricks

Circus trainers force animals to perform unnatural and painful stunts in order to send jeering crowds into a flurry of excitement. Elephants are made to stand on their heads, sit on chairs and mount on top of each other under fear of severe punishment. Tigers and lions are trained to jump through rings of fire, stand on their hind legs, perform acrobatic stunts through the air and stand on top of horses. Bears are made to ride bicycles, balance on balls, dance for cheering onlookers and even play human sports like ice hockey and boxing. Camels, horses and chimpanzees are also subjected to similar unnatural tricks that no doubt cause discomfort and pain.

Distress

Circus trainers force animals to perform unnatural and painful stunts in order to send jeering crowds into a flurry of excitement. Elephants are made to stand on their heads, sit on chairs and mount on top of each other under fear of severe punishment. Tigers and lions are trained to jump through rings of fire, stand on their hind legs, perform acrobatic stunts through the air and stand on top of horses. Bears are made to ride bicycles, balance on balls, dance for cheering onlookers and even play human sports like ice hockey and boxing. Camels, horses and chimpanzees are also subjected to similar unnatural tricks that no doubt cause discomfort and pain.

Public Dangers

In a number of cases in the past, circus animals have tried to escape captivity and have in the process injured themselves and others. Since 1990, 70 big cats have been killed after they attacked and fatally wounded 46 humans. The blame can be placed on the animals unnatural psychological state from being confined and routinely beaten. Circus bears, who either tried to escape or attack humans because of severe distress, have caused the deaths of 8 children and 5 adults since 1990. Over 450 primates have been killed since 1990 for causing human injuries and deaths. Since the year 2000, 35 incidents have been reported involving escaped circus elephants that rampaged through public areas injuring civilians and killing handlers. All of the evidence suggests that depriving an animal of their natural requirements, beating them repeatedly and confining them to small spaces will undoubtedly cause distress and unnatural behaviour in an animal.

(CC) Image by The Wide Wide World

Action

Boycotting all circuses that use animals is the first and most important step in taking action for circus animals. There are plenty of animal-free circus in the world that rely on the skills of human acrobats, clowns and artists to entertain crowds. Some of these cruelty-free circuses include Cirque Du Soleil, Cirque Dreams, Cirque Éloize, Cirque Plume, Flying Fruit Fly Circus, Imperial Circus of China, New Shanghai Circus, Russian American Kids Circus, Swamp Circus Theatre and 7 Fingers. When a circus comes to a town or city near you, inform media outlets of the suffering circus animals endure and let the local people know the gruelling training animals are subjected to. Another way to help suffering circus animals is to urge local governments to ban circuses or at the very least ensure they are regulated by veterinarians and local animal control officers. Holding a demonstration outside an animal circus and handing out leaflets will help educate circus goers on the animals suffering.