Circuses
Many circuses use both domestic and exotic animals as performers, the "stars" of the show. Bears are trained to ride bicycles while elephants are trained to stand on two legs, to lift people in the air and carry them around the glittery ring; Tigers jump through flaming hoops and horses dance. It sounds truly enchanting, but is it fun for those who perform?
The Training
Electric prods and whips are commonplace behind the scenes of a circus. To make an animal such as a tiger face its natural fear of fire is a difficult task, requiring strict and often violent training. Elephants often rebel, as they are extremely social and are kept solitary, shackled and behind bars. They are beaten with clubs, chains, hooks, whips, and electric prods to ensure their behavior. Ex-trainers have spoken to animal welfare groups, telling their experiences in training circus animals. In "Elephant Tramp" by trainer George Lewis the following story is told "With only two weeks to get ready for opening night at the circus, we had to work fast to get the elephants to perform. Sadie, the youngest, was very timid and frightened. One day we had her in the ring for training. She could not do her tricks and ran out of the ring afraid of punishment. We caught her, brought her back, forced her to the ground and began to punish her for being so stupid. Suddenly, we stopped hitting her and looked at each other. Sadie was crying like a human being. She lay there on her side, tears streaming down her face and sobs racking her body." Another ex-employee from Ringling Brothers told how a little brown bear lived and died in the circus: "She was a sweet little innocent brown bear who never hurt anyone ... but sometimes she had trouble balancing on the high wire. She was then beaten with long metal rods until she was screaming and bloody. She became so neurotic that she would beat her head against her small cage. She finally died." Elephants are also carriers of leukemia, and are often left untreated for this and other diseases since the cost would be so extreme. Exotic animals do not belong on bikes or in comical ballet productions; they belong free.
Alternatives
These are many circuses which do not exploit animals: - Bindlestiff Family Circus - Circus Millennia - Circus Minimus - Circus Oz - Flying Fruit Fly Circus - Cirque Eos - Cirque du San Jose - Cirque du Soleil - Cirque Eloize - Cirque Ingenieux - Fern Street Circus - Earth Circus - Flying High Circus - Hiccup Circus - Gregangelo & Velocity Circus - Lazer Vaudeville - Make a Circus - The New Pickle Family Circus - Mexican International Circus Please support humane, animal-free circuses rather than those which abuse our animal friends.
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