A circus is lots of fun to watch, but have you ever thought about the animals that are used in it? Wild animals doing unnatural things isn't natural! Here's some points to think about when you're asked if you want to go to a circus:
- Since circuses travel from place to place all year, the animals don't have a permanent home. They spend all their lives in cramped cages on trucks, in tents, or chained to posts.
- To get circus animals to do "tricks" that are unnatural to them, they are "trained" by methods that many people consider cruel, such as being whipped and beaten with sticks.
- Animals in the wild need large areas to run, hunt, climb, and raise families. They never get to do that in a circus.
- Because they move around so much, it's hard for animal welfare organizations and law enforcement agencies to investigate circuses. They're only around for a few days before they move on to another jurisdiction.
- Since circus animals don't perform naturally, you can't learn much about them at a circus. You can learn more about their natural behaviour by watching a documentary.
Most modern circuses don't use animals anymore. Canada's own Cirque du Soleil is one of the most famous, but there are many others. Next time you get invited to a circus, why not watch for one without animals?