Some cicuses have wild animals on board - which are somehow excluded from from the use of the Dangerous Wild Animals licence. How can this be allowed?! Even during winter when the animals are kept on farms (circus animal winter quarters), circuses are exempt from Farming Licencing.
All circuses and circus winter quarters have no routine inspections. If they were then they would probably fail the criteria of the Zoo Licencing act of 1981.
Despite the RSPCA having no duristiction, the RSPCA is opposed to the use of animals for any form of entertainment where distress or suffering is likely to be caused. The RSPCA also opposes exhibitions, travelling menageries and presentations of animal circuses.
There are about 20 circuses operating with live-animals in Britain. They have a collection of animals totalling over 500, including Tigers, Lllams, Horse, Elephants, Giraffes, Parrots, Bears, and Apes.
Most of the animals are believed to be bred by circuse and non-conservation zoological parks. Some are wild caught - almost all the elephants are wild-caught several decades ago. The animals take residence in large lorry trailers with three sides of painted solid wood/metal. The fourth side being barred or semi-open. These vehicles are called "beast wagons". Some animals are released into mobile tents or cages on arrival at the circus venue for the public to view. Although, now circuses in Britain avoid this.
Winter-quarters boarded for 2-3 months in the winter months when circuses have no demand. The winter quarters are equally as disgraceful as their travelling accomodation.
A secret RSPCA study launched in 1998 found that over 80% of circus animals were below their optinum health.
Winter quarter housing consists of make-shift farmyard barns reinforced with steel bars where the animals had to remain through-out the entire duration of winter. Many animals fell deep into hibernation and some died of the hypothermia.
In 1999 I helped the RSPCA in Kent during Easter. A prime example of poor winter quarters was that of Nellie (a 5-tonne, 20 year old female Indian elephant). Weights Circus Ltd. had her tied to the floor using breezeblocks as anchorage inside a tiny out-house farming building. Her back was inches off the ceiling . The elephant could only poke her trunk out of a tiny door to reach food in a trough outside. She was a prisoner to the circus. The out-house had a surrounding wall around it to prevent passers by from seeing the circus animals.
On the same farm a 10m long by 2m beast wagon held a Lioness permanently.
The worst of it hit me when a trailer contained performing dogs and a monkey. Monkey remains were partially visible on the floor. The smell was atrocious.
The training that occurs
The tools of the trade involve: bullhook spears - a sharp stick with a hook on the end; whips; muzzles; sticks; and chains.
The actions animals have been forced to do involve: jumping through fiery hoops; walking on hind legs; balancing on balls; and to perform other unnnatural, painful, or frightening acts.
Large cats that refuse to enter the circus enclosures are forced in via broom handles and spiked metal pokers.
Animals which do not perform, do not react well to the circus audiences and lights are culled. The dead animals are often buried on the sight of circuses. Circuses portray in their performance that the animals are happy. They try to impress upon the audience that it is educational and natural for animals to perform. They also claim to have conservational aspects. When challenged about the animals they return to the wild they become stuck claiming the animals enjoy it in the circus more.
A survey in the early 1990's revealed 70% of the winter-quartered animals were and remained in bad conditions. The winter quarters were even found to house quarantine units!
Physical signs can be seen in the form of scars, loss of hair (a sign of malnutrition or self-mutilation), and animals being underweight.
The conditions and treatment of animals at circuses can have adverse effects on their behaviour.
Abnormal behaviour is defined as behaviour not of the stereoctypical patterns seen by the animal in it's natural habitat, eg. Growls of fear and anxiety can be seen. Dogs wag their tails when angry. Cats lie low to avoid pain. Monkies refrain from motion. Hippopotomuses seek water to no avail. Predators cannot hunt and become canabalistic. Animals suffer from fits of hysteria. Leashed and chained animals sleep whilst standing. Horses chew their anatomy and bite one another. Animals cry. Elephants and other animals sway their heads side to side. Animals can be found to pace and weave their enclosures.
One circus in Spain shows the Artic Polar bear (latin) sociallising with Black Bears (latin).
Circuses target people who will be accompanying juveniles with an aim to attract those who know no better (ie., they went when they were young). They attract people who cannot distinguish between right and wrong attitudes to animals. Only recently have people been exposed to a wider knowledge of animals via media like television programmes, books, videos, and in education at schools or colleges.
Circues occur because of those who want them and support them. The key attribution to circuses is generally money. Greed, ignorance and gluttony through selfishness keep circuses open.
Circuses operate across a widerange of Europe, Russia, USA, Africa, South America, and Asia. In some places they are more highly accepted than in other places. This is due to the lack of education about respecting animals and their captive keeping.
There are several ways to end animal crulety in circuses. By not going circuses will close. No custom for circuses would mean no finances and eventually no business for circuses. The problem there being that the animals would suffer massively. The animals could not be rehomed easily. Limited zoological garden spaces and rehabilitation possibilties being low due to the animals health and behavioural problems.
The general public by petition and organizations such as W.W.F., P.E.T.A., can protest to persuade Governments, the Euopean Union, and other large countries to boycott animal circuses by creating new laws.
There is no conservation, education, or scientific benefit in animal circuses to either people or animals. As Jan Cremer (director of the internationally known Animal Defenders) said: " Circuses exist because of the demand. Cut the demand and end the cruelty."
References:
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (P.E.T.A.)
www.peta.org
Royal Society of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (R.S.P.C.A.)
www.rspca.org.uk
Circus Watch Publications,
P.O. Box 43,
Dudley,
West Midlands.
DY3 2YP
ENGLAND
TELEPHONE 01384 456682
www.captiveanimals.org
Born Free Foundation
bornfree.org
Elliot Morley MP, Minister, Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs, Nobel House, 17 Smith Square, LONDON, SW1.
