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Unloading of Animals
- Be sure to be present when the circus is unloading the animals. As animals are unloaded, watch for signs of lameness, such as an uneven
gait, stiff, unbending legs or limping.
- Check the vehicles for anything that could endanger the animals, such as protruding nails, rusty panels, ventilation problems, etc. Check trailers or boxcars for an excessive accumulation of faeces and urine.
Banned Animals
- It is illegal to exhibit, train or make the following species of animals perform in circuses in India: bears, monkeys, tigers, panthers and lions.
Food and Water
- All animals should have constant access to fresh water. Circuses may try to withhold water in order to avoid ‘untimely urination in the ring’.
- Elephants should have palatable hay within reach at all times.
- No public feeding of elephants should be allowed.
- Inspect stored animal food, checking for any contamination or mould.
Shelter
- All animals should have access to shade at all times.
Confinement
- All animals should be able to turn around fully, lie down, and stand up while in cages.
- Animals should not be forced to stand in their own excrement.
- Big cats are not allowed to be used by the circus at all, but if they are being kept, they should at least have resting boards.
- The circus is not allowed to use monkeys, but if it does, they must at least provide environmental enrichment; this includes toys, such as balls, ropes, tires, etc.
- Document any stereotypical behaviour like rocking, weaving, pacing, self-mutilation and cribbing (bar-biting).
- Caged monkeys must be provided with environmental enrichment and the companionship of other monkeys.
Performance
- Observe animals for any difficulty doing specific manoeuvres. This may be a sign of an injury.
- Look for hooking, whipping or hitting the animals to make them perform. Document everything.
- There should be a safety barrier between the animals and the audience.
Crucial Signs to Look for
- If an elephant is down on his or her side and does not rise when you approach, this is a sign of a serious problem. Elephants do sleep on their side, but they do not stay down when strangers approach because this is a very vulnerable position. Since an elephant naturally sleeps only four hours each night, sleeping during the day also signals a problem.
- Observe the elephants’ feet for cracked and infected toenails and overgrown
nails, cuticles and footpads. Swelling, discoloration, and peeling skin above the nail may indicate infection.
- Observe all animals for lameness, abrasions, wounds, urine burns, saddle sores and puncture marks.
- Look for any submissive urination. This is a sign of fear. If you observe any animals exhibiting this, document the handler’s name.
- Elephants, horses or camels should never be forced to give rides if they are showing signs of stiffness or other physical discomfort.
- No animal should perform if any signs of illness or discomfort are present.
Reminder: Use cruelty-to-animals laws whenever applicable. If you observe problems with any of the aforementioned, contact your local animal welfare society or PETA immediately.
Tools of the Trade
The whips, tight collars, muzzles, electric prods, bullhooks and other tools used during circus acts and training sessions are reminders that the animals are being forced to perform.
Chains
Elephants are typically chained by their legs during training sessions and transport and often between shows. Inadequate exercise and prolonged standing in wet, unsanitary conditions may lead to foot problems such as foot rot, cracked nails and infected cuticles.
Rope
Baby elephants born in breeding compounds are prematurely removed from their mothers for training. During the separation process, calves are kept isolated and tied with ropes at the front leg and back leg. Rope burns may develop as they struggle against the restraints.
Bullhooks
The bullhook, or ankus, has a long handle and a sharp metal hook, and it is used to discipline elephants. Although an elephant’s skin is thick, it is sensitive enough for them to feel the pain of an insect bite. Trainers embed the hook into the soft tissue behind the ears and inside the mouth or tender spots under the chin and around the feet.
Whips
The sting of a whip causes lingering, intense pain.
Electrical Shock
Like the whip, a jolt of electrical current is painful. Circuses often use electric prods and smaller hand-held shocking devices that are easily concealed.
Sticks, Axe Handles, Baseball Bats, Metal Pipes
These weapons are used to hit and beat restrained animals in order to break their spirits and show them ‘who’s boss’.
Firearms
Circuses use wild animals who are by nature unpredictable and dangerous. When animals rebel against a trainer’s physical dominance, they sometimes pay with their lives. Rampaging elephants have been gunned down in city streets and tigers have been shot to death. Of course, it is illegal to exhibit or make a tiger perform in an Indian circus.
Muzzles
Animals such as bears (who are banned) may be forced to wear muzzles in an attempt to keep them subdued and to discourage them from protecting themselves if they feel threatened. Muzzling can interfere with vision and respiration.
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