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Circuses & Travelling Shows FAQ
(Thanks to Troy Seidle for putting this together,
and to PeTA for much of the data.)
What kinds of animals are used in circuses and travelling shows?
The species most commonly found in circuses and travelling shows are elephants, tigers, bears, lions, horses, ponies, dogs, crocodilians, various snakes and non-human primates (usually macaque monkeys or chimpanzees). Occasionally, zebras, giraffes, hippopotami, and camels can also be found in circuses and travelling shows.
What are the living conditions like for animals in circuses and travelling shows?
The physical and practical constraints of the travelling circus environment result in animals being either chained or confined to transport cages or "beast wagons" at virtually all times when not performing. They are forced to defecate, urinate, eat, drink and sleep all in the same tiny area.
Don’t the animals get to exercise when they are performing?
Yes, but only for a few minutes each day, and only within the parameters of the routine they are performing. Apart from the limited time they are in the ring or on stage, performing animals live a life of extreme confinement and deprivation.
Why do animals in circuses sway back and forth, bob their heads, and bite the bars of their cages?
Most wild or non-domesticated animals retain a need to engage in their instinctive behaviour patterns. Prolonged confinement frustrates these behaviour patterns, and can lead to serious psychological distress and the development of abnormal – or "stereotypic" – behaviours. Abnormal aggression, apathy, self-mutilation, and stereotypic movements such as head-weaving, rocking from side to side, bar-licking and pacing are relatively common in performing animals, and are indicative of a deprived social and physical environment.
Still, aren’t these animals safer and better off in captivity than in the wild?
Although some animals may live longer lives in captivity, many do not. There have been at least 26 premature, unnatural deaths of elephants used in circuses since 1994. The most recent was the death of Kenny, a 3-year-old Asian elephant on tour with Ringling Bros. And Barnum & Bailey Circus, who died after being forced to perform three times while obviously ill.
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In terms of quality of life, compare the existence of captive elephants to those left in the wild. Elephants in the wild live as long as 70 years, in large extended family with strong social bonds. Elephants have also been known to stay with their dead for hours, in what can only be described as a state of mourning, during which they will bury their dead under branches, grass and earth. By contrast, elephants and other animals in circuses and travelling shows are deprived of all such experiences – instead they are made to perform demeaning and unnatural acts, night after night, for weeks or months on end.
How are animals trained to perform?
Trainers routinely dismiss suggestions that they mistreat the animals under their care, pointing to the fact that their animals represent a substantial financial investment, and abuse would jeopardize that investment. Moreover, they argue, it would be dangerous for trainers to abuse wild animals, along side whom they would later have to perform.
What the forgoing arguments do not acknowledge is that the performance is what makes the animal valuable to the trainer. A non-performing animal is a liability. Therefore, if a large financial investment has been made and the animal does not perform, the trainer has a strong incentive to utilize harsher methods to "make" the animal perform.
What evidence is there of abusive training or handling of animals in circuses and travelling shows?
Former animal trainers have and continue to come forward with shocking reports of animal abuse. For example, former animal trainer Pat Derby reports having witnessed "…elephants being beated and electro-shocked in the vagina, ears, mouth, and anus; bears’ noses broken and their feet burned, and big cats being struck with wooden bats."
In addition, abusive training and handling of animals in circuses has been well documented in the following reports and videos:
What legislation regulates circuses and travelling shows in Canada?
There is no legislation at the federal level in Canada that specifically regulates the training, transportation, housing or use of animals in circuses or travelling shows. Although the Criminal Code of Canada prohibits the "willful" infliction of "unnecessary" suffering upon an animal, practices which are common to circuses and travelling shows are rarely subject to any order or charge by a humane society.
At the provincial level, Nova Scotia is the first and only province to introduce standards (84k PDF) governing the care and transportation of animals used in circuses and travelling shows. It should be recognized, however, that most performing animals are trained and spend most of their lives outside of Canada, beyond the reach of any federal or provincial legislation. Moreover, the transitory nature of such shows makes meaningful enforcement difficult as the show may have left a jurisdiction before a complaint regarding an animal in distress can be made, investigated, and charges laid and prosecuted
At the local level, at least 26 municipalities throughout Canada – and numerous others around the world – have enacted regulations prohibiting or severely restricting the use of animals in circuses and travelling shows.
Isn’t it good for children learn about animals by seeing them live at a circus?
It is doubtful that anything of value can be learned by watching elephants balancing on their heads, bears in tutus riding bicycles, or tigers jumping through flaming hoops. On the contrary, circuses present a distorted and misleading picture of wildlife, and do nothing to educate our children or help them to develop respectful or compassionate attitudes toward animals or other people.
How is public safety jeopardized by performing animal acts?
Since 1990, at least 47 people have been killed and more than 100 seriously injured by captive elephants worldwide. Similarly, attacks by captive felines have resulted in at least 23 deaths and more than 70 injuries.
Animal incidents have become common occurrences in circuses and travelling shows.
Examples of incidents over the last decade in Canada include:
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8/99 (Toronto, Ontario) • A lion bit two trainers during the ‘Lights, Camera, Animals’ show at Canada’s Wonderland.
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5/99 (Timmins, Ontario) • An employee of the Leonardo Circus died after being kicked in the head by an elephant.
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4/97 (Calgary, Alberta) • An elephant giving rides at the Al Azhar Shrine Circus bit and knocked down one of her handlers.
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7/96 (Québec) • A 39-year-old Asian elephant from the African Lion Safari attacked her trainer as he was preparing her to give rides to children.
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3/94 (Montréal, Québec) • A tiger attacked a trainer during a Murat Shrine Circus performance.
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11/93 (Toronto, Ontario) • A keeper at the Metro Toronto Zoo was gored through the abdomen by an elephant.
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6/92 (Cambridge, Ontario) • A 14 year-old handler at African Lion Safari was knocked down and trampled by an elephant after a show.
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3/91 (Oshawa, Ontario) • A 450-pound tiger featured in the Jane Jones Exotic Circus leapt on passersby on two separate occasions.
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7/90 (Mississauga, Ontario) • A 600-pound tiger escaped for 10 minutes from the Shrine Circus.
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11/89 (Cambridge, Ontario) • A keeper at the African Lion Safari was killed by elephants while trying to break up a "scuffle".
Are there circuses I could attend that do not use animals?
Yes J Progressive circuses have already begun to redefine themselves by eliminating outdated and exploitative animal acts just as they eliminated human "freak shows" years ago. Springing up in their place are creative and exciting all-human productions – the best known of which is probably Canada’s own Cirque du Soleil.
What else can I do?
There are a number of steps to take when an animal circus comes to your city or town.
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