Animals Used for Entertainment

Circuses: No Fun for Animals

‘But for the use of physical punishment by, and fear of, their oppressors, animals would never be a part of a circus.’ -Richard Pryor, American actor and comedian

Animals forced to travel and perform with circuses lead lives of misery. Unlike the human artists, the animals do not choose to spend their time in this way. Their handlers make them do what they would never normally do through the use of fear, pain and hunger. When animals are not performing, they are confined to cages barely larger than their own bodies. When they become ill, they rarely receive proper veterinary care—not one circus in India has a veterinarian travelling with it.

Life in a Travelling Circus

In their natural homes, animals spend much of their time travelling, hunting or foraging for food, takingcare of their young and spending time with members of their families. All this is denied them in circuses. Instead of being in charge of their own movement, they are chained and caged for most of the day and night.Their only exercise is during training sessions and performances, when they are intimidated into doing acts that are unnatural to them. Chimpanzees are forced to ride bicycles, bears are made to ‘dance’, elephants are made to stand on their heads and tigers are frightened into jumping through flaming hoops.

When the show is over, the animals are shoved back into their cages or shackled, loaded onto lorries and taken to the next town. There is never a break from the endless travel.

Humane organisations investigating circuses have found that trainers starve and beat animals to make them do what they want. Whips and electric shock prods are used to keep animals under control. Bears may have their noses broken or their paws burned to force them to stand up on their back legs. Trainers sometimes starve animals for days before a performance to make them willing to work for food. The animals go from fear and pain during performances and training to the excruciating boredom of their cages. This terrible pattern causes neurotic behaviour patterns, such as endless pacing, self-mutilation and constant rocking.

Cruelty to Animals in Indian Circuses

• Rajkamal Circus, Bangalore: According to People for Animals Bangalore, in 2002, animals were found crammed inside rusted cages, filthy with their own waste. One lion was missing an eye, and several animals had untreated wounds.
• Grand National Circus: In 2002, PETA India inspectors found that animals were kept in small cages with no space to move around. Four lion cubs were all crammed into a small cage. Elephants were driven mad by being constantly chained. None of the animals had access to food or water.
• The Empire Circus: In 2002, it travelled with 10 tigers, 10 lions and a Himalayan bear in violation of the Supreme Court ruling banning the Circus Federation of India from using lions, tigers, panthers, bears and monkeys in their shows. Elephants were forced to spend all their time shackled by three feet; horses were kept tied with short ropes and unable to move freely; dogs lived miserably in tiny cages and cockatoos were kept in small cages without even a perch so that they were forced to cling to the sides of the cage. PETA India filed a report on all this cruelty with the Animal Welfare Board of India immediately.
• Kohinoor Circus: In 2002, animals were found with injuries from transport in cramped, unsafe cages, and there were endangered animals, including a pregnant Royal Bengal tiger, in violation of a Supreme Court ruling that bans the exhibition and training of endangered animals.
• Great Royal Circus: Of this circus’s four chimpanzees, ranging in age from 10 to 43 years, who were forced to travel and perform, two were found this year to be suffering from injuries and illness. One chimpanzee, 22-year-old Lakshmi could not sit or stand and was discovered lying in a bloodstained bed. After she was rescued by Blue Cross Chennai and People for Animals Chennai, a veterinary exam showed that she was paralyzed. She died soon after.
• Gemini Circus: In 2002, this circus kept horses, camels and elephants from moving by tying their hind legs. Dogs were made to live in cramped wooden enclosures, and all the cages and food dishes were filthy.
• Jumbo Circus: Inspectors found a chained chimpanzee frantically pulling and jerking to escape, a hippopotamus with diseased eyes and Indian parrots kept without proper ownership certificates.

Laws Not Enforced

There are laws designed to protect animals in circuses, including the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act of 1960 (PCA Act), the Performing Animals (Registration) Rules of 2001 under the PCA Act, the Wild Life Protection Act of 1972 (WLPA) (as amended in 1991), the International C.I.T.E.S. (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) treaty that protects endangered animals and provisions under the Indian constitution. But the laws are rarely enforced. Officials look the other way when circuses come to town.

The former union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment, Maneka Gandhi, banned the use of bears, monkeys, tigers, lions and panthers in circuses in October 1998. Still, most circuses in India disregard this law. Some circuses refuse to give up the banned animals and demand financial compensation even though they are breaking the law.

Humane organisations and individuals can force officials to enforce the laws. PETA has filed cruelty and neglect charges against circuses and has rescued 18 lions, 10 tigers and a liger (lion/tiger cross) from the Grand National Circus and the Empire Circus. Follow the links to learn more.

Circuses Hurt People, Too

Every year, animals in circuses all over the world snap from the stress and pain of their lives and attack their handlers and members of the audience.

• In January 2002, in Nallasopora, a tiger in the Grand National Circus slapped a small child with his paws. The circus had set up the cages housing lions and tigers in an open area used as a playground by children living nearby.
• In March 2001, in Kamarkundu, a tiger mauled a worker at the Olympic Circus while the animal was being forced to jump through a fireball soon after the show began.
• In December 2000, in West Bengal, a tiger trainer was mauled to death by three tigers during an act that required nine tigers to jump over her and then pass through a ring.

It is impossible for circuses to keep these animals in such a way that completely protects the audience and trainers.

You Can Help

• Never pay to see a circus with animals.
• Write a letter to the editor of your local newspapers, detailing the cruelty as well as the laws that are being violated. Call your local television stations and ask them to air messages about cruelty at the circus.
• Write to the following policy-makers to enforce the ban on the use of bears, monkeys, tigers, lions and panthers, to ensure that all the rules of the PCA are followed and to stop animal exploitation: a. The Minister, Ministry of Environment And Forests, Paryavaran Bhawan, CGO Complex, Lodi Road, New Delhi 110 003
b. The Animal Welfare Board of India, Post Box No.8672, Third Seaward Road, Valmiki Nagar, Thiruvanmiyur, Chennai 600 041; 044-4454935, 4454958
c. The State Wild Life Departments
d. The Indian Circus Federation, WB 83/C Shalimar Bagh, Delhi
e. The Member Secretary, Central Zoo Authority, Bikaner House, Shahjahan Road, New Delhi 110 003

If you learn that an animal circus is coming to your area, contact city officials and the media and ask that the shows be cancelled.

Find out if banned animals (lions, tigers, panthers, bears) are kept by the circus. PETA can guide you about what actions to take.

Organise a demonstration to educate circus-goers about how animals are treated behind the scenes. PETA can supply posters, leaflets and video footage to show on a TV screen outside the venue and to give to the media.

Click here for a checklist of what to look for when a circus comes to your town.