November is a bittersweet month for me. while the thought of cozy holidays approaching and all the beautiful things that autumn brings.. it also means circus-time in Chicagoland. Ringling Brothers "
cruelest show on earth" is in town, November 9th-25th.
- Every major circus that uses animals has been cited for violating the minimal standards of care set forth in the United States Animal
Welfare Act (AWA).
- Animals in circuses spend about 11 months of the year traveling.
- During travel, animals may be caged or chained for long distances
and hours, forced to stand in their own waste, in extreme temperatures.
- Standard circus industry training tools used on animals include bullhooks, whips, clubs, and electric prods.
- Animals born in circus “conservation” breeding programs have never been released into the wild. Most are slated to become “replacement” performers. (read next point below)
- From 1994 to 2005, at least 31 elephants have died premature
deaths in the circus. Other circus animals who have died in an untimely
manner include horses and lions.
- Captive elephant and captive feline attacks on humans in the U.S.
have resulted in hundreds of injuries, many resulting in death.
- In the wild, elephants live in large, sociable herds and walk up to 25 miles every day. Most other wild animals found in circus settings,
including lions and tigers, are also constantly on the move in their
native habitats. In the circus, animals spend most of their time immobilized in
cages or chains.
- Officials from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (which enforces
the AWA) have repeatedly ignored obvious physical trauma to animals,
eyewitness accounts of mistreatment, and sworn testimony from former circus employees who report abuse of elephants.
- Circuses that feature only human performers are gaining in
popularity and provide dazzling, humane, and truly family-friendly
entertainment. click for a list here.
Excellent in-depth articles:
End the Circus of Cruelty- LA Times
The Cruelest Show on Earth - Mother Jones
The Problem with Circuses - Born Free
for anyone who is not yet convinced:
www.babyelephants.net - a look inside training camp for the circus, by former Ringling elephant trainer who had a change of heart at the end of his career. These are standard methods used by ALL circuses.
what you can do:
“It's the action, not the fruit of the action, that's important. You
have to do the right thing. It may not be in your power, may not be in
your time, that there'll be any fruit. But that doesn't mean you stop
doing the right thing. You may never know what results come from your
action. But if you do nothing, there will be no result.” ~Mahatma Gandhi ♥
