Animal abuse in circuses - Essay Example

As grown-ups we do understand that these are not natural. It is said that God created all living creatures equally but for some reasons humans think that their worth is much more than any other life on earth and they can determine the fate of every other creature according to his own whim and fancy. Animal cruelty is an issue of serious concern, especially when it comes to circuses because no government agency looks after the welfare of animals involved in the circus trade. Every single day these animals that perform so well to entertain the audiences and show no sign of the arduous life that they are forced to lead, are cruelly treated and often not cared for, behind the scenes.

It seems that their life is colorful only when they are on stage but once they exit, all the glamour and the lights become dim and the animals re-enters its life of forceful living. Animals are not only kept away from a free life, they are also beaten by their trainers and handlers and kept in miserable conditions. Hence, laws against mistreatment and harsh handling must be issued to protect the animal life and those circus agencies failing to meet the humane standards must be banned from using animals altogether for the sole purpose of entertainment.

Circuses would not be a hit if they had solely exhibited domesticated animals; it is the use of exotic wild animals that draws the crowd and these crowd-attractors being undomesticated are subjected to nothing but cruel training and treatments to keep the money coming in. “Non-domesticated animals, suitable for circus life, should exhibit low space requirements, simple social structures, low cognitive function, non-specialist ecological requirements and an ability to be transported without adverse welfare effects.

None of the commonest species exhibited by circuses, such as elephants and large felids, currently meet these criteria” (Iossa et al, 2009) yet they are forced into the circus business and subjected to immense cruelty. The first form of animal cruelty is the fact that the circus owners remove the wild animals from their natural habitat and force them to live under unfamiliar and completely alien conditions. Wild animals are confined to living conditions that are nothing but detrimental. In the wild an elephant typically walks 30 – 60 miles per day, but in a circus setup such a thing is impossible (Lydersen, 2007) which is detrimental to their health.

The elephants that are used in the circuses have no freedom to take long walks, instead they spend most of the time chained and locked in cramped places. In their research, Price and Stoinski (2007) have confirmed that group sizes have a considerable effect on the “behavior, welfare and reproductive success” of the captive animals. In their research on welfare of carnivores in captivity, Clubb and Mason (2003) determined that constraints on natural behavior like hunting, territory marking etc, the welfare of caged carnivores is compromised.

For example, in the wild carnivores hunt for food but in the circus set-up they are provided food hence they lose their hunting instincts. During the off-season when there are no shows the animals are kept in barns, stalls and vehicles. Such bad living conditions effects the animals both physically as well as psychologically. PAWS, in their official website