Studies have shown that animal welfare is inevitably compromised due to the traveling and temporary nature of the circus, with severe confinement inevitable and physical abuse commonplace.
Constant travel presents many challenges to the physical, psychological and behavioral welfare of the animals: frequent transportation; extended periods of time shut in vehicles, beyond the length of the journey itself; the necessity for accommodations to be small, lightweight and portable all leads to high levels of suffering.
Public safety is also an important issue. Moving potentially dangerous animals across open ground and in close proximity to the public has resulted in escapes and injuries. We have seen that the need to control these animals in public also raises the level of animal abuse when workers moving the animals under time pressures, use weapons and beatings to keep control.
ADI investigations, and those of others, have exposed the culture of animal handling and training in the circus industry to be abusive. Many hours of video evidence have shown that pain, punishment and fear are the methods used to force animals to perform tricks.
Trainers and workers have been filmed routinely using whips, goads, metal bars, pitchforks, shovels, the ankus/bullhook (a bar with a metal hook on the end), as well as electric prods and even stun guns on the animals.
No one is saying "end circuses"; circus businesses must adapt to changes in audience tastes, like all businesses, and the popularity of human-only circus shows points the way. Cirque du Soleil, for example appears eight times in the top ranking international shows alongside Madonna and Lady Gaga world tours (Top 50 Highest Earning World Tours in 2012), with combined ticket sales of nearly $400 million. Not a single animal circus made the list.
To learn more about ADI's campaign to Stop Circus Suffering in the United States, please visit:
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Animals in the circus have not been asked to be there. They are stolen from the wild, babies ripped from their mothers and beaten into submission to perform. Elephants live a majority of their lives in chains. Tigers are crammed in into tiny cages for months on end. This atrocity must end now and we are putting a stop to it. But we can't succeed without you!
Contact Congress this week!
Ask your Representative in Congress to support and co-sponsor the Traveling Exotic Animal Protection Act (H.R. 3359), a landmark federal bill that aims to protect elephants, tigers, bears and other wild animals from being forced to perform in traveling circuses.
What you can do:
It is easy to send an email and make a quick call to your member of congress today! Animal Defenders International is leading a big grassroots push to flood Congress with calls and emails. Even if you have already sent a message, please call today!
Investigations have revealed circus animals are trained through domination using weapons including bullhooks, whips and electric shocking devices.
H.R. 3359 is an important animal protection measure that will relieve an enormous amount of suffering, will save resources and protect people.
Background about H.R. 3359
The Traveling Exotic Animal Protection Act, H.R. 3359, will restrict the use of exotic and non-domesticated animals from traveling circuses in the United States.
