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Home >  Not many people are aware of the cruelty that goes on behind the scenes. Circuses portray a distorted view of wildlife. In contrast to the glitter associated with circuses, performing animals’ lives are pretty miserable. Animals do not naturally ride bicycles, stand on their heads or jump through rings of fire. Whips, electric prods and other tools are often used to force them to perform by inflicting pain (see Tools of the Trade). Even the animals’ access to basics such as water, food and veterinary care is often severely limited. Tigers and lions usually live and travel in cages hardly bigger than the size of their own bodies. Early in their training, according to Henry Ringling North in his book The Circus Kings, the big cats are ‘chained to their pedestals, and ropes are put around their necks to choke them down. They work from fear’. Bears may have their noses broken while being trained or have their paws burned to force them to stand on their hind legs. Because of the enormous size and strength of elephants, circus trainers rely on bullhooks, chains and fear to make them obey. Some elephants spend almost their whole lives in chains. The well-known Dumbo lived 20 years in ‘martingales’, chains that ran from his tusks to his feet. In the wild, the life expectancy of elephants is the same as ours. In the circus, many elephants die prematurely of disease and the stress of confinement. Under the Performing Animals (Registration) Rules 2000 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act of 1960, no animal performance or exhibition can be undertaken without mandatory registration with the Animal Welfare Board of India, but some circuses blatantly disregard this rule. In May 2001, the Supreme Court of India upheld a 1998 central government notification banning circus owners from training or exhibiting the following species: bears, monkeys, tigers, panthers and lions. In spite of this, many circuses continue to make these animals perform, in blatant violation of the law. The Empire Circus, which is currently in Mumbai, even has a case pending against it in court, yet it continues to imprison 20 banned animals. Caring people all over the world are realising that animals have no place in the circus. To see a list of localities that either prohibit or restrict animal acts, click here. Children seem to have an innate sense of what is right and wrong and especially speak out against cruelty to animals when they learn how animals are treated for so-called ‘entertainment’. In fact, children demonstrated outside a circus in Bangalore to encourage people to stay away from circuses that use animals. You can help, too! What can you do if a circus comes to your town?
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