Church

I was just a circus tonight, and I had a great time. I was lucky enough to sit very close to the ring, and something that I saw really bothered me.

Does anyone know how the animals in circus' are treated? I'm sure its just me, but they all looked really miserable for some reason. The horses all looked terrified, and the elephants just looked plain sad.

Can anyone reassure me?

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Grondar

It's my understanding that they are treated very poorly.

I don't go to circuses for this reason, because by paying for a ticket it's just supporting the neglect they are inflicting on the animals.

I just did a brief search, and here is a story and a website related to what you are asking. Unfortuntely, they are not re-assuring.

• Animals Mistreated for the Three-Ring Show
  
• Circuses.com - General site with facts and info about animal abuse at Circuses.

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skier

You know, in north america there has been awareness of cruelty of animals for a long time. I would not be suprised if I found out that the vast majority of north american circus animals are treated very vell, and are not abused in the least, AND that there is federal legislation protecting these animals.

Grondar, the two sites you pointed out are slanted enough to be considered propaganda. The really serious charges of neglect are almost all over a decade old- if you check the dates, nearly all the newer charges against circuses abusing their animals is almost laughable. For example this charge on Carson & Barnes from 2002, 2 years ago.


August 9, 2002: A Carson & Barnes truck carrying the circusÕs two African elephants, Paula and Kristi, crashed in Rhinebeck, N.Y. The driver veered onto the right shoulder, which had a 4-foot drop-off, and the truck tipped onto its side. The road was closed for five hours while emergency workers used power tools to cut into the trailer, free the trapped elephants, and remove the wreckage. The elephants suffered minor injuries. The driver was charged with having an uninspected trailer and an insufficient logbook, as well as failure to keep right.

So- the driver had an accident, and the people did everything in their power to save these animals. This is VERY condemning evidence. damn those circus bastards for getting into a car accident on the road.

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Manic_Skafe

It's not so much the cruelty towards the animals that makes me not go to the circus. Animals shouldn't be bread to spend their entire lives in trailers, jumping through hoops, and being at the every whim of their owners. Even if the circumstances were a lot more favorable in a circus than in the wild they should be able to experience life outside of a cage.

It's bad enough we breed the animals we consume for death - we shouldn't enslave more animals just for our entertainment.

Edit: I've really gotta start proof reading my posts.

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whocarz

I would try to explain my stance on animal rights, but I would just come across as an ogre.

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Rlyss

I wasn't aware that elephants <i>could</i> look happy?

CoachAlan

A few summers ago I took a trip to East Africa. While I was there I saw literally hundreds of elephants, and I can assure you that elephants can indeed look very happy.

Having seen elephants and lions and giraffes and so on in the wild, even going to the San Diego Wild Animal Park (where the animals have room to roam and are treated very well) is rather disturbing.

I haven't gone to a circus in many years, and I doubt I would go to one again.

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Latch

Recently there was a circus in town here. The local (free) papers' call-in lines were full of people complaining about the treatment of the tigers/other animals. The way it was being portrayed, it sounded pretty bad. I never saw the conditions/cirus myself though (too bad -- I would have enjoyed a trip to the circus ), so I've kinda held off judgement. Maybe next time it comes around I'll catch it and see it myself.

Hwed

Animals? You're worried about the animals?

What about the poor clowns? Poor, poor clowns.

maleficent

I suffer from Coulrophobia.... Clowns scare the bejeesus out of me- - They need to just go away... (Even Ronald McDonald- the clown has insanely large feet)

The Circusses site, I believe is a PETA site, or at least affiliated with PETA, so I'd take anything that is said there with a grain of salt.

Most of the circus animals now, wouldn't surivive if released into the wild, which is kind of sad. I see circuses as an animal prison, and I don't like seeing animals outside their habitat.

Even zoos, like the Bronx Zoo, or Bronz Wildlife Conservatory -- whatever they're calling themselves, doesn't have animals in cages, they animals are allowed to roam free, but an African plain in the middle of the Bronx, with airplanes flying over head, just doesn't seem right to me.

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Carno

I don't like circuses. Even if the animals are treated well, they still have a shitty life.

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Strange Famous

as far as I understand the way they train the animals is pretty cruel - basically torture. I've never been to a circus though, because of that most of all... I remember once seeing a video on TV of a woman hitting chimps with a stick to make them do tricks... I guess that's pretty much how it works, I mean none of those animals would want to do the tricks they make them out of free will I guess.

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Latch

I Hate Clowns. A good site for you...

Diamond

I don't like to think of myself as an animal rights kind of person, but keeping animals simply for amusement is not cool. I own pets, and I feel very responsible to them to keep them healthy and happy. How can this happen in a freight car or trailer between shows?