Elephants in british circus

camel leopard

camel leopard

Well-Known Member
Hey, just thought i would start a thread on what people thinkof the recent news that 3 elephants one african and two asian are performing in a british circus.
 
All i can say is i hope this is not the start of a trend, very disappointed to see them back on the UK circus scene.
 
Already posted a thread on this in the general forum with a few links, but one of things that makes me wonder is how this got under the radar until now? Especially after such a long absence for circus eles :confused:
 
Totally disgusting turn of events, and I feel sorry for the brutally cramped lifestyle that the elephants will undoubtedly have.
 
Surly it's no more cramped than a zoo? At least their environment will change on a weekly basis.
 
As ashley stated there environment will change , and they looked to have a good amount of space with grazing which many zoo elephants do not have. They are also do not appeard to be chained up when in there overnight accomadation which is a plus .
 
I thought it was against the law to keep elephants in ciruses, or are they trying to pass a law like that?

Still thats very sad news, is there anything the rspca or the government can do about it?
 
Very discusted and upset with all of this :(. I don't care one bit about circuses as I hate them very much. I feel so sorry for the animals being forced to perform, live and travel in tiny cages, getting chained up for periods of time etc. Things like that can make any animal stressed. Absolutely discusting :mad:

I see that the circus is currently at Newark Showground, Nottinghamshire, and I only live down the road from Newark.

According to the website, the circus also keep Lions, Tigers, Zebra, Ponies, Horses, Camels, Llamas etc.

James B
 
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Tigerlemurguy said:
I thought it was against the law to keep elephants in ciruses, or are they trying to pass a law like that?

Still thats very sad news, is there anything the rspca or the government can do about it?
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There is no law against a circus keeping elephants, although there was a gentlesmans agreement that they would not keep them.
 
The welfare of these elephants, although obviously of concern, is NOT the key issue here.

The key issue is the message this sends outs. The British government, through inaction, has effectively decided to allow these animals to enter the country specifically to appear in a circus. They are saying "We, the British Government, think it's absolutely fine for elephants (one an endangered species) to be exploited for entertainment purposes". This message may have chimed with our Victorian ancestors but times have moved on: conservation and education are now enshrined in an EC directive for zoos, for example.

Regardless of whether there's a "demand" for watching elephants perform (one wonders how many of the circus-goers are even aware that they'll be witnessing the return of elephants to British circuses, or what their feelings on the matter might be after the performance), the government should not allow wild animals to be used purely for human entertainment. What would not be acceptable in a zoo should not be acceptable in a circus.
 
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99% (not an official statistic but an educated guess of mine) of animals in zoos are there purely for human entertainment (whatever spin is put on it).
 
Paradoxurus said:
99% (not an official statistic but an educated guess of mine) of animals in zoos are there purely for human entertainment (whatever spin is put on it).
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Yes, and it's mainly only people like us on this forum who care about the conservation side, take time to read the information signs etc.
And James, don't you work in Twycross? The elephants there are trained and made to perform... What's the difference?
 
And didn't DEFRA publish a report proving that animals in circusses suffer no more than ones in zoos do (stress wise)?
 
Paradoxurus said:
99% (not an official statistic but an educated guess of mine) of animals in zoos are there purely for human entertainment (whatever spin is put on it).
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absolutley true, itsthe frame of mind people go to the zoo with, to have a fun day, identical to a circus. thinking about it surely it is similar to that of elephan training withint a zoo (though i realise within a circus it is at a different level), its up to people to change their frame of mind before the exhibition of animals are changed for the better.
 
I would have thought that a very large proportion (yes, not all) of wildlife conservation/education work is carried out by people who were entertained by animals in some form or other as children. Education alone is generally uninspiring.

As for the Elephants in british circus issue it's all to easy to be emotive, personally i wont be going to see them and have no great desire to do so.
 
Paradoxurus said:
99% (not an official statistic but an educated guess of mine) of animals in zoos are there purely for human entertainment (whatever spin is put on it).
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Zoo animals entertain people, for sure, but sorry, I'm not as cynical as you. Not about good zoos, at least. For circuses, on the other hand, the figure would be 100%.

foz said:
absolutley true, itsthe frame of mind people go to the zoo with, to have a fun day, identical to a circus. thinking about it surely it is similar to that of elephan training withint a zoo (though i realise within a circus it is at a different level)
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The reason why people go to zoos and the reason why animals are kept in zoos can be altogether different.

foz said:
its up to people to change their frame of mind before the exhibition of animals are changed for the better.
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Actually, it's the responsibility of animal exhibitors to change people's attitudes through better exhibition!
 
i'm not implaying that it is the mind set of everyone who visits the zoo, nor am i saying that a zoo can't be a fun day out. its sad but zoos want to match the demand of their visitors (again not saying every zoo everytime) but i beleive it is the motives of the visitor that determines where they visit (circussess and zoo alike). it should be the responsibility of the exhibitors i agree to improve echibits regardless of what the people think however people also have to change thei perpreception of zoos and even circuses
 
I've just found this link about Lars Holscher the elephant trainer in the Great British Circus.

Google Translate

By the looks of those pictures he as trained Giraffes, Zebras, a Rhino and Elephants. Also i think the elephants in those pictures are the elephants in the great british circus.
Lars Holscher started off in a Zoo the circus site states.
;)
 
I am dismayed to see this being allowed in the UK again. After reading news articles etc. on the topic it all reminds me too much of a certain other circus containing elephants in the 80s-90s. I really hope that history will not be repeated...
 
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