Profiting on Conservation: Animals in Captivity Abused for Human Entertainment

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Recommended: Animal abuse in circuses

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.

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