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The Plight of
Exotic and Wild Animals in Circuses
Elephants
In the wild, elephants travel up to 30 miles a day and are active
for 18 hours out of each 24 hour day. They are very social animals,
developing strong bonds with other members of their herd. They enjoy
submerging their enormous bodies in cooling ponds and scratching against
trees and rocks to keep their skin healthy. In the circus, every aspect
of their behavior is controlled. Engaging in natural behaviors as
simple as throwing dirt on their backs or reaching out with their
trunks to comfort a friend can result in a beating. Beatings—or
the threat of beatings—dominate their lives. When not performing,
they are chained in parking lots, arena basements, trailers, or boxcars.
Nearly all elephants in circuses were captured in the wild. In captivity,
they often develop neurotic behaviors such as swaying back and forth
and bobbing their heads, a sign of psychological distress. Many elephants
have died as a direct result of circus life.
Big Cats
A circus cage is more than 18,000 times smaller than a tiger’s
natural roaming range and more than 17,000 times smaller than the
territory a lion would travel in the wild. They live in diverse habitats
that offer thick forests, tall grasses, and savannahs. Tigers love
to swim, and lions, the only social big cat, live in predominately
female prides. In circuses, big cats cannot enjoy so much as a leisurely
afternoon basking in the sun while resting on the cool earth. They
spend their whole lives in cages, often pacing. Captivity has such
a profoundly negative affect on big cats that, in October 2003, British
researchers with Oxford University published a study in the journal
Nature that concluded that wide-ranging carnivores should
not be kept in captivity. According to one of the scientists, Dr.
Ros Clubb, “This kind of repetitive behavior [pacing] is really
indicative of poor psychological well-being.” In order to be
trained for circus tricks, they are dragged by heavy chains around
their necks, whipped, and viciously beaten with sticks.
Bears
Because their needs are so great, bears of all species are among the
hardest animals to keep in captivity. Bears are not only skilled tree
climbers, they are adept swimmers, and some species can run up to
35 miles per hour. While curious and energetic, bears are typically
shy and are easily frightened. In circuses, these frustrated animals
spend much of the day pacing, rocking, swaying, or rolling their heads
and showing other signs of extreme despondency. They are often muzzled
and leashed and forced to perform difficult and confusing tricks through
the constant threat of punishment. When no longer of use, they may
be abandoned. In 2001, three bears used in the Kelly Miller Circus
were found malnourished by a deputy in a trailer near Oklahoma City,
Okla. The bears were severely emaciated and dehydrated with bloody
paws from pacing across fiberglass flooring. The trainer was charged
with one felony count of cruelty to animals and four misdemeanors.
The owner of the animal park where they were transported believes
they were trained using electric shock.
Primates
The lives of baboons, chimpanzees, and other primates used in circuses
are a far cry from those of their wild relatives, who live in large,
close-knit communities and travel together for miles each day through
forests, savannahs, and hills. Primates are highly social, intelligent,
and caring animals who suffer when deprived of companionship. Like
all animals used in entertainment, primates do not perform unless
they are forced to—often through intimidation, abuse, and solitary
confinement. According to Dr. Robert Sapolsky, a research associate
with the Institute of Primate Research, National Museums of Kenya,
who has spent more than 26 years studying baboons in a national park
in East Africa, “Training most baboons to do tricks of the sort
displayed [in a circus act] is not trivial ... it is highly likely
that it required considerable amounts of punishment (physical or otherwise)
and intimidation.” There is also evidence that solitary confinement
is a method used to ensure that the animals will perform on command:
A trainer with the Royal Hanneford Circus has admitted that he keeps
the chimpanzees in solitary confinement for the majority of the time
so that they will be more motivated to perform.
You can help stop the suffering of elephants, tigers, and other animals
abused in the name of "entertainment." Click
here to support PETA's vital work.
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"Make 'Em Scream": Watch Standard Elephant-Training Practices
Ringling Bros. Exposed
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