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 circus is said to have originated in the 1700s, with a one-time Sergeant Major in the 15th Light Dragoons, Philip Astley performing on horseback, demonstrating equestrian expertise in London based shows, (Broonman & Legge, 1999; Stoddart, 2000). It was Astleys’ equestrian performances that influenced many others to establish similar shows over Europe in the nineteenth century, with new permanent buildings being built for the performances later developing in the early twentieth century to circuses tents to allow the shows to be taken to audiences that would otherwise not have seen the show. Other developments allowed European based circuses to travel from the Far East to South America, Africa and Australasia, (European Circus Association , 2014).
Although there were animal welfare protests against performing animal shows, the First World War was a staple moment of protest against the shows, with the Performing Animals Defence League forming in 1914 encouraging public concern on animal cruelty, (Wilson, 2009).
Currently there are three main legislations affecting and protecting the welfare of wild animals in travelling circuses, The Welfare of Wild Animals in Travelling Circuses (England) Regulations 2012, the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and the performing Animals (regulation) Act 1925, (DEFRA,2013; Rees,2013). The legislations in place recognise that both wild a...
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...erlands. Journal of agricultural environmental ethics, Volume 26, pp. 523-535.
PETA, 2013. Circuses. [Online]
Available at: http://www.peta.org/issues/animals-in-entertainment/circuses/
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Rees, P. A., 2013. Dictionary of Zoo Biology and Animal Management. West Sussex: John Wiley and sons .
RSPCA, 2014. Wild animals in circuses. [Online]
Available at: http://www.rspca.org.uk/allaboutanimals/wildlife/captivity/circuses
[Accessed 03 02 2014].
Stoddart, H., 2000. Rings of Desire: Circus history and representation. Manchester: Manchester University press .
Syne, A., 2006. Meta-analytic review of the effects of enrichment on stereotypic behavior in zoo mammals. Zoo Biology , 25(4), pp. 317-337.
Wilson, D. A., 2009. Racial Prejudice and the Performing Animals Controversy in early Twentieth-Century Britain. Society and animals , Issue 17, pp. 149-165.
The first point of view from this issue is the side that believes humans, zoos and other facilities should be allowed to keep animals. The places that captivate animals believe that they are doing a favor to the creatures. They believe that they are saving them from being killed by humans. They say that if they would not have taken in these animals they would have died in the wild. They say they’re giving them a fresh new start and a place to live without worry. For example, in this article they state that zoos try and h...
Mohandas Gandhi once said “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated." Countries such as Greece, Bolivia and China have banned animal circuses. Even the British government has pledged the removal of them in the circus by 2015. With alternative entertainment available, such as the incredibly talented Cirque Du Soleil, there should be no question about abandoning these cruel traditions.
"How Zoos Are Saving Our Animals." – Features – ABC Environment (Australian Broadcasting Corporation). N.p., n.d. Web. 03 May 2015.
Zoos have been with us throughout our history, and can provide a good barometer of public beliefs and values at any given time. Therefore it seems necessary to explore whether in today’s society contemporary zoos are a means of educating and conserving or still seek to control and exhibit animal others for human benefit. In order to make this assessment there are a number of contributing factors. Firstly it is important to establish context by considering the history of zoos and looking at the changes from the early menageries to contemporary zoos who strive to be institutions of refuge for animals facing twenty-first century global challenges. This links into how the physical space of zoos has changed over time and whether these advancements have made any crucial difference to the welfare of animals. Following this conservation, education and scientific research will be explored in detail in order to assess whether they provide good enough motives for keeping animals in captivity. I will seek to argue that although attempts have been made to point zoos in the direction of conservation and education, in my opinion the concepts of dominance and human superiority are still at the core of modern zoos.
Mason, Robert A. B. "Wild Mammals In Captivity: Principles And Techniques For Zoo Management, 2Nd Edition." Austral Ecology38.8 (2013): e26. Environment Index. Web. 27 Mar. 2014.
Lemonick, Michael D. “Who Belongs in the Zoo?” Time. Time, 11 June 2006. Web. 12 Dec.
Cohn, Jeffrey P. “Decisions at the Zoo.” BioScience 42, no. 9 (October 1, 1992): 654–
Stroud, Peter. "Defining Issues of Space in Zoos." Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research 2.6 (2007): 219-22.
Some people may argue that zoos protect animals and species under this polluted world, however, do animals in zoos really need our “help”? Yes, but surely not that many. According to Captive Animals Protection Society (CAPS), 79% of animals in United Kingdom zoos and over 70% of elephants in European zoos are wild-caught. It seems that zoos need them rather than they need zoos.
Alatola, E 2011, The ethics of animal circuses, The Captive Animals’ Protection Society, Manchester, UK.
The role of the circus is both complex and simple it is in itself a
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 the...
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..
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.
Supporters of zoos argue that they help to conserve endangered species, but in fact they are not very good at this. Even the world famous panda-breeding programme has been very costly and unsuccessful. Also, zoo life does not prepare animals for the challenges of life in the wild. For example, two rare lynxes released into the wild in Colorado died from starvation even though the area was full of hares, which are a lynx’s natural prey.