Animals have been used in entertainment before Shamu became the headliner at Sea World. Ancient Romans threw innocent people and animals into a coliseum solely to entertain the spectators in the stands. People have been paying to see animals perform tricks for the past two thousand years. Marine animals are often captured or rescued from the wild under conservation terms, but trained by punishment instead of positive reinforcement to perform in themed shows in order to boost attendance for Marine Parks mainly for profit. Animals who travel with circuses are often trained by withholding food or beatings with whips and bull hooks. The worst of all, there are so few government regulations and laws to prevent abuse of animals for the sake of profit. Although it is normal to see circuses, local zoos ,and animal themed parks offer forms of entertainment involving the collaboration of humans and animals they had rescued, attendees of such venues should reconsider visiting these establishments because animals are forced to learn unnatural acts, abused during the training process ,and forced to live outside their natural habitat.
On February 24, 2010, an orca attacked and drowned its trainer during a training session. The media outlets released articles on how this was not the first incident caused by this particular orca. The public was outraged and demanded for the removal of this killer whale and sending it back to the wild. The truth is that after a marine animal such as killer whales and dolphins are removed from the wild they loose the ability to use their sonar. As Jean-Michael Crousteau in a interview with Tyler Hayden “When you take a wild cetacean and put it in a tank, its acoustic system is suddenly screwed up. Its sonar reverb...
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...isions shows, live sports events ,and regular amusement parks for people to attend and watch. Get involved with local programs and events to find out how to help the animals currently trapped for entertainment.
Works Cited
“Aquariums and Marine Parks.” PETA. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Nov. 2011. .
“Circuses.” PETA. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Nov. 2011. .
Cousteau, Jean Michael. “Cousteau on Sea World Tragedy.” Interview by Tyler Hayden. Independent. N.p., 27 Feb. 2010. Web. 30 Nov. 2011. .
Regan, Tom, and Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson. Empty Cages: Facing the Challenge of Animal Rights. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Pubilshers, Inc., 2004. Print.
Suppose you were kidnapped from your family as a child by an alien species while your family watched in despair, crying out helplessly for your kidnappers to not rip you away from them. Now imagine then being strapped down and transported to a place unknown and once you arrive, you see that some of the other children that were also kidnapped have died. You then witness something that will forever remain engraved into your mind; you witness those monsters that took you hostage cut the children open, fill their bodies up with rocks, tie an anchor onto their feet and throw them into the ocean. The monsters then throw you into a tiny cage; you learn that you will not only never see your family again and die in that confinement but you will also work for these monsters and perform as a source of entertainment for them. You spend every night locked away into an even smaller steel cage that gives no freedom of movement at all and aren’t fed if you displease your new masters. Although this sounds like an outline for a horror movie, it is not. It is happening in real life and in our world. It is horrific, not only unethical but inhumane. This depicts the capturing process and life in captivity for public display of Orcinus Orcas, popularly known as Killer Whales since 1961. Although some laws regarding the capturing of whales have changed, whales are still being treated unethically. Just as inhumane as it is for this to be done to humans, it is equally inhumane for it to be done to animals. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, inhumanity is “the quality or stage of being cruel to other people or to animals” (dictionary.com) and that is what their captivity is...
Regan, Tom. “The Case for Animal Rights.” In Animal Rights and Human Obligations, 2 ed.. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1989.
Wyckoff, Jason, and M.A Bertz. "The Animal Rights Debate: Abolition or Regulation? - By Gary L. Francione & Robert Garner." Journal of Applied Philosophy 28.4 (2011): 414-16. Print.
Many people would like to believe that animal cruelty doesn’t exist, but little do they know it is still happening all around the world every single day. The treatment we have on animals is unethical. It’s unreal how animal cruelty is still a thing because of the fact we live in a world of right versus wrong. Animals are looked as a form of product instead of what they really are, living breathing creatures. The use of animals in entertainment has been going on for thousands of years. Animals are forced into racing, captivity, violence, all for the sake of amusement to us. The children love to take a peek through the gates and cages of animals in zoos. People who are young and old love to watch the animals race. What people don’t know is that attending these events oftentimes means you’re supporting the abuse that is done to the animals. They have been taken out of their natural habitat, stripped from any rights they had, and forced to comply to the demands of human beings. The unfair treatment given to animals when used for entertainment purposes constitutes animal cruelty.
Regan, T. and P. Singer, eds. Animal Rights and Human Obligations 2/e (Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1989)
Throughout the past few decades, animals have been mistreated and in some cases killed in live entertainment facilities. (APNM 2006) Organizations like People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (“PETA”) and other animal right protecting organizations, try to protect and restore basic rights to the animals. Circuses, aquariums, and zoos have flaws in their systems, which allow for the animals to be mistreated. (PETA 2009) Animals should not be forced to do any tricks, stunts, or any harmful or life-shortening forms of entertainment nor be housed in inappropriate surroundings merely for the amusement of humans.
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...
The entertainment value does not contradict the morals of taking a wild animal and caging it, so we can stare at it for a few minutes. I will be honest, I love being able to take my kids to the zoo and aquarium. We enjoy walking around looking at all the exotic animals that cannot be seen while walking around the local park. The animal’s personalities and temperaments we see at the zoos is hardly the animal they would be in the wild. The visual education we are receiving is altered and therefore, false. Imagine you are put in a room very similar to your own, with your best friend or spouse, and you were told to behave ‘normally’. You can dance, laugh, talk, play, anything, but you will be watched by an estimated 5,000 people a day. No one would see the true you; the same goes for wild animals. We are able to have a better understanding of animals in their natural habitat rather than a miniature version filled with artificial objects in the local zoo or aquari...
The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way in which its animals are treated.” (Gandhi). Sadly it seems that there is much to be desired from America. Over the past few years there has been an increase in animal abuse, sadly numerous cases go unreported and unrecognized. It is estimated by the HSUS that every year nearly one million animals are abused or killed with connections of domestic violence. From this growing issue, it is seen that humans have power over animals.
People are the only power that will help these beautiful creatures on setting them free. If people cared as much as those who care about animals they can help by signing petitions, and getting more people to listen to them.
Many people believe zoos and places such as Sea World mistreat and or abuse the animals. There are organizations out there claiming to try to rescue these animals and the “need your help”. However you’ve never seen these people actually freeing any animals or actually taking any action. Maybe because there isn’t anything to take action against.
The world is constantly trying to invent and find new forms of entertainment. This being said, people often find pleasure in watching animals. When thinking about how animals are used in the entertainment industry, it seems that in most cases they are being mistreated. Owners of such animals that are neglected lack the care and knowledge to provide for them. This is a social issue because not only do we use animals for our own enjoyment, but we uproot them from their natural habitats and take them away from their families.
In the United States alone, there are more than 500 dolphins and members of the dolphin family held in captivity; equally thousands have died in captivity. Today, dolphins are kept captive in amusement parks, "Swim With Dolphins" programs, casinos and sometimes even shopping malls. Many people enjoy watching them perform in shows or even interacting with them in aquatic parks, but most people lack the understanding of the trauma dolphins suffer in through being captured and transported, and the often cruel conditions in which they are kept. The process of capture and the conditions in which dolphins are kept are cruel and unnatural, and can be stopped by educating the public about the significant cost of this industry to the health and life of the dolphin species, and convincing the public to not buy tickets to the different events that captive dolphins are involved in.
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...
The reasons that animals are held in captivity could favor some people and others not. Animals in captivity are usually held for entertainment, education, research, and conservation purposes. The other major reason they are held in captive is the process of rehabilitation. The article, Ethical Issues, defines rehabilitation as the treatment of wild animals found injured or ill, taken into captivity until restored to full health and then returned to the wild. Then when the animal is released they are then able to live freely in their own habitat. Although this may lead to suffering and stress or even death for the animal. The animal is so dependent on their caretaker that once they are put into the wild they do poorly (1).