General Circus Poll

[e-lajos]

You are going to a zoo. You can see a seal show, visitors enjoy it very. At the next station you are invited to be a close encounter with an elephant. You can take a snake, you can see some birds of prey flying over your head to their trainer. Excellent entertrainment... So what is the difference between the zoos and the circuses? This is the question I usually ask when I teach students of keeper training course.

I am sure that the answer should be clear: the goal. The zoos works for conservation, the circuses for the money only (I don't speak about bad circuses, because there are bad zoos too, and many circuses provide good conditions for their animals). Any problem? There is... You can see many zoos doing everything for the money as a circus. They say that the income helps them to do their conservation works. So, they prostitue for being able to do positive things. Finally, are you able to see any difference?

I am sure there should be a difference, which should be perceived well by the visitors too. They should know the goals of our efforts. Next question: do we need circus (-style)? I think the societies of different cultures decided or will decide: the animal circuses are declining in the world. But, if we lose our credibility, the zoos could be also loser...

Excuse me for this long meditation.

 

[casarettoaleash]

It's not like animal voluntarily ride bicycles, stand on their heads or balance on balls. Circuses do not train using positive reinforcement. They are beaten, hit and poked. No government agency monitors their training sessions. The animals are constantly crammed into boxcars because they are traveling. Ringling travels over 25,000 miles in a year! In fact, elephants routinely snap after years of abuse. Anybody remember Tyke in 1994 killing her trainer? Since 2000, there have been more than 35 incidents of elephants bolting from circuses. Elephants are dangerous animals. I wish the US and all countries would ban circuses. I have no problem with humans performing in circuses, because at least they can make a choice. I'm sorry, but anybody who goes to ciruses is only paying to see animal abuse up close.

 

[ostrich]

For some reason, I can’t vote in this poll…is it because I’m new? I’ve seen a few circuses in my time. I haven’t seen a lot, but enough. I don’t care for them. I find it horrible that they use elephants. It absolutely disgusts me! I have no problem with keeping in elephants in zoos, but circuses are a whole other matter. Some elephants perform in circuses into there 50s! I can’t even imagine the life those animals have had. They deserve to have a natural life. I do agree that it depends on how they are kept and the particular circus. But, I wish I could vote! Why on earth can’t I?

 

[eyra]

I am new on this forum and I don't want to try to reinvent the wheel, but for me, the simple idea of animals in circus belongs to the past. I am working in circus business (the side without animals), but I worked also with companies with this kind of acts... Believe me, man has many ways to enhance his virtuosity and there is no greatness to train elephants and tigers to do "strange" things in a ring, twice a day.

 

[carlos55]

Here in Mexico City there is a furious debate going on over prohibiting the use of animals in circuses. A political party called the Partido Ecologico de Mexico ( actually closer to the right wing) decided to carry out a campaign against useing animals in circuses. It was able to gain weight in seven states and pass legislation against the use of all animals in circuses.
2 weeks ago the Mexico city district assembly also approved an ordinance forbidding the use of all animals in circuses, giving the circuses one year to relocate their animals. But in Mexico city we debate everything, and the circuses decided to fight back. The new law discriminates against circuses they said, because cruelty against animals in bullfights, charreadas ( mexican rodeos) and cockfights were not prohibited. This is a strong point. The mayor of mexico city has said that he must study to see if the new law is even legal, since protection of wildlife is already managed on a federal level by
Profepa ( Producaduria Federal del Medio Ambiente). Actually, there are many cases of animal abuses in mexican circuses, they are not the best of institutions. Profepa is understaffed and needs many more funds to really inspect the whole country. However the new law is unrealistic by giving circuses only 1 year to dispose of their animals. Most animals will simply be killed. Accredited mexican zoos have stated that they cannot recieve all the circus animals. Circus owners say that they are willing to take the prohibition law to the Mexican supreme court.