Why animal circuses should be banned

Edit Close. Toggle navigation. Animal circuses should be banned To the editor: I sincerely wish to express the utmost gratitude to Ringling Brothers, Barnum and Bailey Circus for voluntarily deciding to cease operating.

Recommended for you. Submit a Letter to the Editor. If you're interested in submitting a Letter to the Editor, click here. Latest News. Sipple: Once a lead dog in coaching pack, Frost now faces long odds to right ship. Most Popular. Top Ads. Top Jobs. Market Data by TradingView. In the wild, an elephant can walk up to 30 miles each day, highlighting the immense disparity between their cruel circus lifestyle and their natural one.

Elephants, lions, tigers, and chimpanzees are all very social animals by nature , yet in the circus, these animals are taken away from their mothers at a very young age and brought up in a solitary environment where they cannot exhibit many of their natural behaviors. It is very common for these animals to develop stress related illnesses, depression, anxiety, and extreme frustration when they are deprived of companionship. The training of circus animals is a dark and disturbing world which is hidden from the public eye.

However, many investigators have been able to film secret footage of the horrific ways in which trainers force their animals to learn the tricks they perform on stage. Bull hooks, whips, tight collars, muzzles, electric prods, and other barbaric tools are used to physically punish the animals until they learn to get it right. Bleeding, bruising, and even broken bones have been witnessed by investigators. According to the ASPCA , the deprivation of these basic necessities combined with the long term physical mistreatment and abuse of these animals is done in order to keep them afraid and submissive.

The captive state which these poor animals experience often leads to shorter lifespans, mental disorders, and physical disabilities resulting from a lack of any natural exercise and the extreme daily confinement. Hence, tigers in circuses live in a highly unnatural way. According to facts on the mistreatment of circus animals , specifically tigers, these animals have suffered greatly at the hands of their handlers.

The most famous tiger trick entails jumping through flaming rings. Yet, did you know that tigers are naturally terrified of fire? Hence, we can deduce that captive tigers are, in fact, more afraid of their handlers than the flaming rings.

The circus business is all about selling as many tickets as possible, cutting corners, and making sure that the show goes on no matter what. Nevertheless, were you aware that the abused circus animals receive poor veterinary care or none at all? The main reason for this is because quality veterinary care is costly and it does not benefit the budget of the circus. Furthermore, plenty of circuses lease their creatures seasonally from different dealers.

Not only did Bolivia manage to ban the use of wild animals in circus performances, but the ban also included domestic animals such as dogs and donkeys. Due to the increasing extinction rates among tigers and elephants, breeding these creatures in captivity may help preserve the species. Of course, this fact applies only when animals in captivity receive proper treatment and care. Another benefit of using animals in shows as circles see it is the profit it brings to the table.

Animal performances, especially those featuring exotic animals, are extremely popular and these shows are almost always sold out. In nature, you rarely see wild elephants traveling and living all by themselves.

The reason being, elephants are group animals that thrive in herds, typically composed of 6—20 females and calves. The harsh reality is that elephants in captivity are kept in total isolation. Not only that but baby elephants are typically ripped from their mothers between 18—24 months of age. The animals are beaten, punished, and humiliated in order to become more submissive and do the tricks the trainers want them to do. Naturally, the constant beatings can leave ugly and painful wounds on the body that are not appealing to the visitors.

To make things presentable, the circus handlers use a substance designed for the quick-healing of infected lesions and sores. That way, the animal will not bleed during the show, and a bandage is not necessary. Sadly, the circus animals lost a dear friend and a passionate animal rights advocate.

Simon, after being diagnosed with colon cancer, joined forces with PETA in drawing up a list and helping as many animals as he could before he passed away. In his own words, Simon said that he wanted to see captured animals walk in grass for the very first time. Most importantly, Simon managed to shut down some circus companies and even protested against the Ringling Bros.

According to facts on circus animal abuse , the first circus elephant was sold to the notorious P. Barnum in , where he instantly became the biggest star both literally and figuratively of the show. One of his most notable performances included him leading a parade of elephants over the famous Brooklyn Bridge.

Unfortunately, after one of his performances in , he was hit by a train and killed on the spot; keep in mind though that back in the day circus performances were held close to the railway yards. Circus animals endure abuse to such a high extent that they may start losing their hair, teeth, or both due to high levels of mental and physical stress.

Unfortunately, this was the case with Cholita, an Andean bear illegally kept at a famous circus in Peru, now thriving in the wild. Cholita was stumbled upon entirely by accident when Jan Creamer, the president of Animal Defenders International, organized a seizure of the Peruvian circus.

Even though Cholita has gained her freedom, she still carries the brutal scars of her time in the circus; in addition to that, her toes were cut off and she also suffers from alopecia. Everyone who has been to Thailand or other tropical South Eastern countries know about elephant rides. A lot of local entrepreneurs offer this amusement for tourists.

It looks fun—an elephant is so big! Of course, an elephant is a big animal. The weight of a typical Asian elephant is 3,, kg. Riding a few people with all the equipment and elephant handler or mahout leads to serious diseases and disabilities for an animal.

The second thing is cruel animal acts. Elephant handlers hit baby elephants to bring them under control. But at the beginning of acting handlers do a very bad thing—they band baby elephant legs and drop the animal to a very tiny hole in the ground.

How can we stop it? For sure do not ride on elephants! No demands—no offers. Now the biggest population of acting elephants lives in Thailand around 4, from 5, of all elephants living in the country are used in riding amusements. And check a hashtag elephantride on Instagram! Currently, up to 46 countries banned on using wild animals in circus acts. Most of the countries are located in Europe and North and South America.

You can find the whole list of the countries and the US states here.