Entertainment or Abuse?
Elephants walking a tight rope, tigers jumping through hoops of fire, monkeys smoking a cigarette, parrots riding a bicycle. How in 2013, do we still find this amusing? Today, thousands of wild animals are still being used in circuses, zoo shows and film stunts around the world. They are being forced to perform incredibly unnatural behaviours purely for human entertainment.
Why do the most dangerous animals in the world put up with this? Simply, these animals do not know their own strength. They have been beaten into submission from an early age, both physically and psychologically, and do not believe they have the ability to refuse. According to some trainers, only 1 in 30 wild animals will perform continuously, therefore there are thousands being destroyed because they would not.
Circus animals are constantly travelling between shows and therefore live their lives in confined transport cages with barely enough room to stand. Research has shown that these confined spaces along with extensive travelling can cause high stress levels and ultimately negative behavioural effects for the animals.
Due to the psychological damage that such unnatural performance training causes on these animals, many turn to self-mutilation, by chewing and biting at their own bodies, some may also go into depression, and others become incredibly stressed or aggressive.
No matter the species, the needs of wild animals cannot be met in travelling shows.
Conservation efforts? As well as the direct impacts that unnatural training and performing has on these animals, there are also negative effects that could indirectly threaten their species in the wild. The obvious example of this would be the tiger. The tiger is one of the most dangerous animals in the world; however these tricks and performances misrepresent the power and strength of such animals, and because a lot of circus tigers have been physically and emotionally beaten, you do not see the true danger of them. Man is shown to overpower the most dangerous animals in the world, and the performance also makes you believe in a special bond between man and beast, which is the worst message for the public to see. Due to this, human respect for exotic animals and the natural world will continue to decrease, and owning these animals as pets becomes more common. In my opinion, the only thing children learn from these circuses is that it is acceptable to exploit and mistreat animals for amusement.
Last year, I was fortunate enough to experience ‘La Nouba’ by Cirque du Soleil. You will never find an animal in any one of their performances, yet the amazement you experience is beyond belief. The creativity throughout is an inspiration; the non-stop action is both exciting and hilarious, leaving you wanting more. When we have the ability to create something so unique and amazing with simply the gifts that we individually possess, why should we exploit the natural world in such an inhumane way?