Effects Of Circus Animals

A.D. Williams, brother to Martin Luther King Jr. and football player for the Green Bay Packers, the Cleveland Browns, and the Minnesota Vikings, once said, “When I look into the eyes of an animal, I do not see an animal. I see a living being. I see a friend. I feel a soul.” Animals were first introduced to circuses in 1782 in a circus known as the Amphithéâtre Anglois in Paris. However, back then the animal that was featured in circuses were primarily horses. In the early 1800’s elephants and large cats started being used. Michigan State University states, “The AWA (Animal Welfare Association) is the only federal law that directly regulates circus animals”(Animal Law). Circus animals dont deserve to be abused for human pleasure and

In addition, circus animals put human lives at risk and are abused on a daily basis. Although supporters of circuses argue that circus animals receive necessary veterinary care, many circus animals die due to neglect each and every year. Defenders of circuses claim that “Under federal regulations, sick elephants must get prompt medical care and a veterinarian's okay before performing” (Nelson). Supporters of circuses dont see the harm of using circus elephants because there are laws that enforce circuses to give sick elephants veterinary care. However, it is very rare that the circus trainers abide to these guidelines. PETA states, “The USDA cited Ringling for failing to maintain an adequate program of veterinary care for three elephants. The facility’s veterinarians prescribed daily treatments for these elephants, but the treatment logs showed one- to four-day gaps, during which time treatments were not given”(Ringling Bros. and Barnum &

The text states, “when traveling, elephants are chained for an average of more than 25 hours at a time, sometimes for as long as 100 hours straight”(Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus). In Africa, Elephants walk an average of 40 miles per day when looking for food, but in circuses they are held captive in cages for up to 100 consecutive hours. Evidence shows, “footage of animals beaten and shocked with stun guns, chained up and with missing eyes or smashed-in teeth” (Christian). Circus trainers will do nearly anything to get their animals behaved, which almost always results in some form of abuse. The text states “a yearlong Mother Jones investigation shows that Ringling elephants spend most of their long lives either in chains or on trains, under constant threat of the bullhook, or ankus- the menacing tool used to control elephants.” although Feld Entertainment states that, ‘ "they are trained through positive reinforcement, a system of repetition and reward that encourages an animal to show off its innate athletic abilities"’(Nelson). Feld Entertainment (a live show production company which owns a number of traveling shows) tried to convince the public that their animals are put through positive and rewarding training. However, a lengthy investigation proves otherwise, noting that animals spend nearly their entire life in captivity and are in fact trained using inhumane methods. “Circus training methods include