Humans have always been enamored by the beauty and majesty of the wild creatures of the Earth; Asian elephants, the big cats of Africa, and of course the adorable monkeys, apes, and chimpanzees. Capitalizing on the public’s love for these animals, entrepreneurs and business moguls have captured some of these creatures and allowed people to buy an up close encounter with the wild beasts of the world. Some have even trained these beasts to perform tricks for the pleasure of the audience. It is a common scene in the world today for families to spend the weekend at the circus or the zoo, peering in at the lives of the wild animals by whom people are so captivated. However, when adults plan a fun, family outing at these entertainment venues, they may not realize the abuse and neglect they are supporting by doing so. The vast majority are naïve to the horrors lurking under the big top once the crowds have dispersed. The hidden truth, is that wild animals are torn from their families, abused and neglected, and live lives far from what was naturally intended; all this for the love of money, and due to corruption and secrets, they most often get away with it. Circuses spend an average of 48 weeks a year traveling and performing for audiences. Circus animals spend approximately 95% of their lives caged or chained. Elephants in the Ringling Bros. circus, a division of Feld Entertainment, for instance, often spend up to 100 hours straight in chains, as revealed by Ringling’s own documents (Circuses). Their big cats are crammed into crates, hardly able to move, for extended periods of time. Though Ringling boasts that their train cars are specially designed for the needs of their animals, the records show otherwise. In 2004, a you... ... middle of paper ... ...ll have to settle for a circus without spectators. There are two kinds of evil in the world, those who cause harm, and those who see it but do nothing. There is no more looking away from the abuse going on in the circus, animals belong in the wild, not under the big top, and one day that is where they will live again. Works Cited "Benjamin Zephaniah Opens Exhibit Comparing Slaves To Factory-Farmed Animals; Social Justice Leader Unveils Provocative PETA Display: "200 Years After Parliament Banned The Slave Trade, It Continues For Animals." M2presswire (2007): Newspaper Source Plus. Web. 8 Apr. 2014. "Circuses." PETA. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Apr. 2014. "Meet the Elephants." Ringling Brothers Circus' Over-the-Top Cruelty. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Apr. 2014. Nelson, Deborah. "The Cruelest Show On Earth." Mother Jones 36.6 (2011): 48. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 8 Apr. 2014.
Although it’s entertaining to watch these animals perform, most people don’t take the time to think about the issues that the companies that are involved in this type of entertainment encounter. The frequently asked questions of how
Circus animals are still wild animals, captive born or not, they still retain the needs to roam freely and socialize. They also never lose instinct to defend themselves. America, a country that has deemed animal cruelty a crime, endangered species protected and partakes in extreme publ...
The Animal Kingdom is a modern exhibit designed to follow the “natural pattern” of an African community. The most eye-popping attraction, the Kilamanjaro Safari, is an open-air, nearly barrier-free animal reserve at Florida’s Walt Disney World. It was a major shift from a cow playground to a zone of care for other wise caged animals. Here, African animals freely roam through acres of savanna, rivers, and rocky hills. The rider is advised to be aware, “You never know what could happen in the wilderness” (Tate 1).
Children for the most part found going to the zoo a joyous occasion even when it contains many dangerous creatures. The central theme of families joy that one child feels may reciprocate into the entire family unit. The author cites children’s letters from the period and first hand accounts of zoo visitation as sources for his research and analysis. Unknown, “Hattie of Central Park: Most Intelligent of All Elephants.”
For centuries, animals have been utilized in a wide variety as forms of entertainment. Their wide range of work expanding from circus acts all the way to social media purposes. The earliest signs of animal captivity according to archaeological evidence, are lions that were caged and held in captivity by rulers in Macedonia around 2,000 B.C. (Evans, 2007). As the decades progressed animal involvement in the entertainment industry began to form. In the 1800’s, circuses and sideshows held wild animal performances for the public that consisted of a trainer showing off their bravery against a wild animal’s ferocity (Evans, 2007). These types of interactions between man and animal called for trainers to establish complete dominance. Therefore, this
“Animal Entertainment” refers to any animals used to act, perform, or fight for the enjoyment of humans. zoos, circuses, and bullfighting are all examples of animals used for entertainment. While many applaud these firms for putting on a spectacular show, many others argue that the animals are treated unfair. All of these animals are taken out of their natural environment and forced to perform acts not typically in their behavioral range. If one pays close attention at the circus, for example, it is visible how these animals are treated. Trainers threaten tigers with a whip and often hit elephants with metal on their legs. These techniques are inhumane and best explain why animals should not be used for entertainment. The use of animals for entertainment is a form of animal abuse because of the way the
Since the recent event with a gorilla in the Cincinnati Zoo, people have questioned ethics. The author wrote this argument to explain why the safety of animals, as well as their survival in the future, depends on these enclosures. Some readers would accept that zoos and aquariums conduct a lot of research, but for those who are skeptical, the argument discusses that the “Zoological Society of London, for instance, is developing innovative methods to assess the risks of animals contracting disease when they are reintroduced into the wild” (2016, p. 2, para. 7). The effective evidence Ganzert brings in shows readers the benefits of zoos and aquariums in order to appeal to the value of the animals being well contained and protected while they are in the enclosures. Another strong example of Ganzert’s appeal to an audience that wants the facts is “The Phoenix Zoo helped lead the ensuing breeding and reintroduction programs, which ultimately birthed more than 200 calves from just nine individuals. Now between Oman and Jordan, there are about 1,000 Arabian Oryx living in the wild” (2016, p. 2, para. 4). In result, the audience receives information about an existing program as well as what has happened due to the creation of this program at the Phoenix Zoo.
The issue that has been raging for over many years is if animals should be owned by humans. This mainly concerns zoos, private owners and other facilities that hold animals. The public saw this issue and wanted to address it. Big organizations such as PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) are the ones who are mainly active in this dilemma. The people who are also interested in this issue are those who fit into the category of any side of the argument. Other people and organizations, who are interested in this topic, are zoos or animal wildlife parks. People of the public were interested in this issue, which is why there so many organizations and debates for the issue of animal cruelty. Zoos also promoted interest for this issue in the public, due to the high amount of visitors. There are two main viewpoints in this argument and one in the middle of both. One side is for animal being kept in zoos, facilities or owned by humans in general. The other side argues that animals should not be kept by anyone because they are nobody’s to own. The middle ground between the two points of view believes that only some people and facilities are allowed to take care of animals (basically those who are qualified).
Since the beginning of the modern day circus in the early 20th century millions of Americans have enjoyed the performances by both the people and the animals that perform for our entertainment. However, the audience is blinded by shock and awe of the show from what really happens behind the curtain. Animal cruelty, poor living conditions, and lack of legal regulation scars the animals and becomes very dangerous to the overall health of the animals and those who are around them. The mistreatment of animals in circuses has been occurring for far too long, and new laws need to be implemented in an effort to prevent future acts of cruelty toward these animals.
Attention getter: Lion, tigers, and bears, oh my! When the circus comes rolling into town, many people are excited to go and that is all that is talked about; about the clowns, the trapeze artists, the ring leader, the elephants and all the other marvelous wonders of the circus. But would you all still be excited to go if you knew the truth about the circus and the animal trainers of how they treat the animals? Because in reality, for our spirits to raise at the circus, they break the spirits of all the animals, especially the elephants.
In accordance with the Welfare of Wild Animals in Travelling Circuses (England) Regulations 2012, a travelling circus is defined as ‘a circus in which travels from place to place for the purpose of giving performances, displays or exhibitions’ and ‘a circus as part of which wild animals are kept or introduced (whether for the purpose of performance, display or otherwise).
The life of a circus animal is hard and demanding. It is not an acceptable way of life for an animal. Circuses would quickly lose their appeal if the public were more aware of their mistreatments of these animals. Many circuses do not have much money and as a result the animals suffer from inadequate care. These animals spend most of their time in small cages used for transportation. The Animal Welfare Act provides cage requirements, but many circuses fail to follow this law. Even the Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey circus was cited for 65 violations over a two-year period according to Florence Lambert. When traveling, animals spend hours, even days between sites in confinement..
When bred in captivity, animals are oblivious to their natural habitats and how to socially interact with their species. The article “Animals Used as Entertainment” lists rodeos, circuses, bullfighting, horse racing, cockfighting, dog fighting, and zoos as examples of the many ways animals are used in entertainment. Circuses and zoos are the two most relevant forms of animal mistreatment. Both of these are sources of entertainment for children and adults. Zoos declare that they are used for mostly educational purposes and preserving various species, but the reality is that they fall short on both (“Animals Used”).
This essay proposes to investigate the ethics of training, and subsequently utilising, circus animals for the purpose of human entertainment. Therefore, the essay will respond to the question “what moral or ethical obligations do humans have in respect of other animals? How can these obligations be filled?” It should be noted that a distinction is made between morals, which are personal standards of behaviour – and ethics – which are moral principles that govern societal behaviour. This essay will focus on ethical obligations. Specifically, the treatment and training methods of circus animals will be researched to ascertain what, if any, physical or psychological discomfort results for the animals. More precisely, investigations will be undertaken to gauge circus animals’ quality of life, and thus arguments that circus animals both enjoy and loathe this treatment will be explored. Additionally, specific cases of cruelty to circus animals, together with various legislation that either allows or prohibits such behaviours, will be examined.
They are pressured into completing harmful acts, as well as maneuvering their bodies in ways that are anomalous. Acts such as these tend to cause distress in the circus animals. Instead of supporting circuses that use animals in their shows, people should support animal-free circuses. Animal-free circuses feature spectacular shows without harming any animals.