Animal cruelty at the circus.

Everybody loves the circus, from small children to the older generation reminiscing of earlier days when they too were enthralled by the acts. Circuses where animal tricks and performing animals are proven to be much more popular, with the audience granted a rare glimpse that they otherwise might only get of an exotic animal at a zoo or on a safari holiday.

Many circus animals are kept in conditions that are far removed from their natural habitats. But at what cost? Animals do not stand on their heads or ride bicycles in the wild, nor do they jump through rings of fire normally. For example, many bears have their paws burnt to force them to stand on their hind legs, which gradually leads to weak calf and ankle muscles in the bears. They are forced to perform what are often physically uncomfortable tricks which leave them feeling confused and in pain.



Would you still dig into your pocket for circus tickets after reading the following facts?

*It is a proven fact that trainers use pipes, tight collars, bull hooks driven into the animal body and muzzles to force animals to perform tricks, and whips, baseball bats and electric prods are all considered tools of the trade in dominating the animals. Tim Frisco, a Carson and Barnes elephant trainer, learnt from his father to ‘sick the hook into ‘em, when you hear that screaming, you know you got their attention’.



* Muzzles are also used to subdue them and keep from attacking the trainers when they are threatened with pain. Another subduing technique is keeping them drugged, and teeth removal, often done without adequate dental training.



*Animals accustomed and evolved physically to roam free in the wild are forced to live and travel in far smaller cages in their own filth, eating, sleeping and defecating in the same area. To keep them from moving or attacking, the animals are often chained down for long periods of time, often using ropes which leads to rope burn via friction against delicate skin. With the change of climate many are left out in extreme heat and bitter cold that their bodies are not accustomed to being exposed to.



*In the wild, animals often have social groups, like herds and packs. In the circus, animals are often kept in very limited groups or alone to discourage comradeship, and have no opportunity to bond.



*When travelling, circuses often have limited water between stopping in towns to refill, and because of this drinking water, the cleaning of the animal living conditions and cleaning of the animal itself, is often prohibited. The diet of each animal would not be of primary importance, more so the profit of what the circus makes and because of this they would not have what they eat naturally.



*A training method is also keeping them half-starved so that they perform in the hope of treats. Also, as they are often travelling between locations, unless a qualified veterinarian is paid to journey with them, disease is common in circus animals and it can often be days before they reach a location with adequate care for them.



Once an animal is unable to perform they are permanently caged, used for the fur and ivory trade, sold to a game farm to be hunted for sport, or sold to a lab.