In May 2018 a ban on using wild animals in travelling exhibits like circuses came into force in Scotland. England and Wales followed in 2020. This long-fought victory has led many people to believe that animals no longer suffer in circuses in the UK – but that couldn’t be further from the truth.
The ban applied only to wild animals, meaning domestic animals still suffer in the name of travelling entertainment. Circuses have been found forcing horses, ponies, donkeys, birds, cats and dogs to perform difficult and dangerous tricks while neglecting and even abusing them behind the scenes.
The idea that animals should ‘perform’ for our entertainment, whether in circuses or zoos or on the racetrack, is abhorrent and outdated – a part of human history that has no place in a compassionate and modern society.
Animals confined to circuses are subjected to painful training techniques, which aim to ‘break their spirit’ and get them to comply. Bullhooks and whips are still tools of the trade, used to beat animals into submission, forcing animals like horses to rear up on their hind legs or gallop around the stadium carrying people on their backs.
Trainers may hide their tools from the prying eyes of the audience, but the animals, who have undergone months or years of torturous training, know they are there and ‘perform’ out of fear.
Circuses travel for much of the year, which means animals are kept in temporary housing that cannot meet their needs, such as makeshift tents or stables, tiny trailers or vehicles. Just like in zoos, animals kept in prolonged captivity and denied all autonomy display ‘stress behaviours’ such as pacing, rocking and swaying – a sign of mental distress and suffering.
Not only are circuses places of inadequate welfare and major ethical concerns, investigations have repeatedly found cases of deliberate abuse towards animals. Our friends at Freedom for Animals found horses at Peter Jolly’s Circus being tormented and abused by staff, as well as being tethered for extended periods of time. In 2023 they photographed the moment a goat fell from apparatus during a performance and was manhandled back into position to complete the trick, despite being hurt.
Never attend a circus or travelling exhibit that uses live animals. Sometimes these are deliberately renamed things like ‘country fair’ or ‘funfair’, but any event that uses live animals is exploitative and unethical – because animals do not exist for our entertainment and because respecting their rights is impossible while we keep them in captivity.
The circus ‘season’ runs from spring to autumn. If the circus comes to your town, please raise awareness with peaceful demos, petitions or leafletting your local area. You can also contact your local authorities or town councils.
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