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Well, actually I could write a
whole book on my
views of using animals in the circus –and someday soon I might just do that.
(If you are an acquisition editor who's interested,
by all means click
here).
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If you want to know my perspective on
what life is like for circus animals, including how they are trained, you’ll
find that at my FAQ page. If you haven't seen
that page yet, check it out. |
So, in a
nutshell, here’s an opinion on the use of animals in the circus in general:
I believe that
the development of the human species, that is the culture and behavior of our
species, has included the use of animals for resources, such as food and
clothing, and for “contained interaction” such as farm work, pets, and
performance. So I don’t think there is anything “wrong” or
“unnatural” about using animals in a circus any more than it is wrong or
unnatural to give your dog a treat when he sits up or to ride a horse through
the field.
Imbedded in the idea of cultural development
is the idea that it continues to evolve . . . to change slowly over time.
Perhaps our culture is evolving to a point where some uses, or even all uses, of
animals within human society may end. That could happen if we consider
such use to be distasteful for one reason or another. Different societies
at different times have taken widely differing views on animal interaction.
For example, the ancient Hebrews, the Hindus of India, and some Arabic cultures
have at different times adopted strict codes or limits on the human use of
animals for food and other uses. In modern American society, we have
incorporated similar beliefs into our laws that govern agriculture, wildlife,
and pets. I think there are some in our society who would like to see
most, if not all, uses of animals in human society abandoned. I think they
are a very small minority, but a very visible and very influential minority.
On what basis does this minority believe
that all animal use should be abandoned? I think their beliefs, at least
how those beliefs are often defended, rests on the idea of the evil of cruelty.
I would hope that most of us our society hold anti-cruelty values, whether
applied to humans or to animals (or to plants and microbes, for that matter).
Just the idea of cruelty to an animals turns our stomachs, as it should.
For those who believe that ALL human-initiated interactions with animals should
be abandoned, an easy way to convince others is to claim that such interactions
are cruel. The problem with this approach is that perhaps SOME
human-initiated interactions with humans are cruel and some are not.
I think this is where the circus comes into
the discussion. Some folks believe that the use of animals in the circus
should be abandoned, even under authority of the law, because it is cruel.
I think that is a mistake. Having lived in the circus and worked with many
different trainers and handlers and circus animals, I don’t see any
substantial difference between training a tiger to sit up on a pedestal and
enjoying the interaction and the beauty of it and training a house cat to sit up
for a treat and enjoy the interaction and the beauty of it. Scientific
studies, such as the very thorough study done by
Dr. Kiley-Worthington in the
UK, or a recent study at Texas
A & M University, show that the conditions for wild and domestic animals in the
typical circus are not cruel or inhumane. Of course, nothing is
uniform. Of course, there are cases of animal abuse and cruelty in
circuses. Just as there are on farms and ranches, in ordinary
people’s homes, and in the forest. So if we should ban all circus
animals because of cruelty, by the same logic we should ban all farm animals,
all pet, all zoos, all parks, and all wildlife reserves because cruelty does
occasionally occur in all these places.
We do have many laws and regulations to
prevent cruel conditions and cruel interaction with circus animals. I
believe the best way to prevent cruelty to circus animals is to consistently
enforce these laws. I don’t think we’ve done a bad job of this.
My evidence is that studies and court cases have shown that, in general, circus
animals do not suffer any cruelty and in fact are often healthier and live
longer than their counterparts in zoos and in the wild.
While there are folks at one end of the
spectrum of opinion who believe that all animals should be banned from the
circus, there is another small group at the other end of the spectrum who
believe that any use of animals in the circus is OK –without question. I
don’t agree with this group, either.
First, I don’t like the approach that some
from this latter group take in NEVER wanting to investigate possible cruelty or abuse
in the belief that it just doesn’t happen in the circus. While I do
believe it is rare, I think cruelty can and does occur in the circus.
I believe that we should be vigilant for such abuse and take appropriate,
lawful, and constructive steps to stop or prevent it. I also think there
are probably some practices and styles of working with animals in the circus
that should be abandoned for one reason or another.
For example, I think that our notion of what
is entertaining has changed over recent years. I believe that, given
our overall increased awareness of the natural state of animals and our
increased sensitivity to the concept of rapidly vanishing species, we are more
likely to enjoy animal presentations that are somewhat educational and that
underscore the natural behavior and beauty of the animals.
Therefore, I think audiences expect –and I personally prefer—circus animals
acts that leave out animal costumes, human-like behaviors (such as riding a
bike), and elements that might seem “degrading” to the natural beauty or
abilities of the animals. I also think that even though circuses are
better than anyone at captive breeding of elephants and big cats, there are some
animals (such as some primates) that shouldn’t be exhibited in circuses
because of their status as endangered or threatened species.
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