Circus Animals
Sue Brooks July 25th, 2010
I’m continually amazed at the reach of the internet these days as I have received numerous responses in response to the media coverage of the anti circus animals discussion that we have had in Council recently. The responses have come from as far away as India!
Briefly.. Council received a request from the RSPCA to consider banning circuses that use exotic animals to perform and Council has considered this proposal twice. The first time we discussed the request we asked that the LGAQ take the issue to the State to try and resolve the issue at the State level but we also asked for a definition of what was meant by the word exotic. During the debate in Council I felt that not all Councillors thought banning circuses that use exotic animals was supported although many questions were asked. The second follow up report dealt with options to Councillors including a suggested group of animals to be banned. The animals included lions, tigers, elephants and monkeys as I recall. The term exotic animal actually refers to animals not native to Australia so many dog and bird breeds etc could be called exotic.
I moved that we accept the report after clarifying that the way to actually ban circus animals was by way of a Local Law. As Council is rapidly approaching the time to adopt new Local Laws I felt that this process would give the community the option to have ‘their say’ and this is what will now happen.
Personally I believe no animal should be used purely for human entertainment. I don’t enjoy watching an animal perform for people and although I think that the polar bears at Seaworld and the dolphins there are very well cared for I don’t place them in the same category as circus animals. Zoos and places that house animals like Seaworld and Dreamworld are now very aware of the emotional and social needs of the animals under their care and cater for these needs. They also ensure the animals receive appropriate health care and good nutrition and undertake carefully managed breeding programmes. I am quite certain that circus animals receive that same level of care.
Now I’m talking about lions, tigers and elephants rather than dogs or little piglets etc but I prefer to be entertained by clever performers of the human variety when I pay to go to a circus and Circus Oz and Cirque du Soliel are excellent examples of this type of entertainment. I don’t like rodeos or bull fighting either but I acknowledge that not everyone shares my views. I recently spoke to a woman who works near the Sunshine Coast in an office that overlooks a paddock. Some time ago a circus came to town and the paddock became the home of the circus elephant. The woma said she was nearly at the point of taking leave as it saddened her so much to have to watch the elephant chained up and swaying from side to side all day long. This woman did not think this particular solitary elephant was a contented and happy elephant!
So it is over to you the community. Please do have your say and when the new Local Laws come out for public consultation do use your voice and let Council know what you think. I expect that the Laws will be available for comment later this year. I hope that our community supports a ban on the few circuses left in Australia that use animals to boost their income. Children should see animals in a more natural environment not jumping through hoops in my opinion!
- What do you think?
- Comments(6)
What the circus going public does not see is the life of the exotic and frequently potentially dangerous animals between performances. Necessarily caged, necessarily transported over huge distances in heat and without release for exercise. It is not the same as the displayed and performing moments which the circus goer does see. For the amusement of an audience for a dozen two hour sessions in the ring the animals live the rest of their lives cooped up like battery hens or intensively factory farmed pigs. Not nice.
Far better to watch them in the wild in the excellent well produced television programmes where they are caught living their normal lives in the wild.
What I’d like to know is that if we suddenly ban these animals, then what will happen to them? If, as I suspect, they are going to be destroyed or given away to smaller circuses or individuals where we have absolutely no control over how they are treated, then perhaps a plan of natural attrition should be looked into.
Emailed to me and posted with permission.
Dear Sue,
As an Australian voter I applaud your stance on the banning of circuses that exploit animals, especially exotic animals, on council land.
David Dalgleish asks “…why would circuses be purposely cruel to their animals when those animals are their livelihood?”
The answer is, because they can. And those who are not purposely cruel are cruel in ignorance, sumply by allowing it to occur. These animals have to spend their whole lives in tiny crates being carted from town to town, inhaling exhaust fumes and probably suffering from motion sickness (how would their owners know one way or the other?), in all kinds of extremes of weather. Never feeling the grass under their feet or the sun on their backs or being able to run as far or as fast as nature intended for their species.
They wouldn’t do this to their dogs so why be species-centric and do it to others?
A modern society no longer wants that form of shallow ‘entertainment’ when there are more sophisticated circuses like Cirque (as you mentioned) and I have been told Circus Oz is another one that doesn’t use animals (I’ve yet to have the latter confirmed though).
This is the 21st century, society has evolved & matured, and tastes have changed. Intelligent parents don’t want to teach their children that it’s ok to force animals to perform unnatural acts in a crowded and noisy atmosphere; to whip them and poke long poles and chairs at them and then lock them up back in a small cages again.
Keep up the great work and please don’t falter on your decision, you have a lot of people out here who support your beliefs.
For the animals (of which we are a part),
Pamela Hayes
Buderim Qld.
Emily the animals are found homes at Zoos and or sanctuarys. The RSPCA has many properties where people take in unwanted animals. At least here in Australia we don’t allow residents to keep exotic animals like happens in America. I’m glad that you are concerned about the future welfare of these animals and am aware that animals raised in captivity don’t have another experience to compare their treatment with and would not cope if returned to the wild so must be cared for appropriately.
Emily, if these animals were destroyed there would be a huge public outcry. They will be sent to sanctuaries where they can live out their lives in fresh air and peace and quiet, away from screaming audiences and men poking chairs and cracking whips at them.
Sue can you classify exotic animals. What’s a father going to say to his kid if he
wants to go to the circus. Sorry son whats the point of going. Theres no elephants,
monkeys,lions or tigers because they have been banned by the ‘Unreal”
“United Nations Radical Environmental Advisory Lobby”. Stick to the laws of your state and federal counterparts. This will never become a council controlled by the Greens
if the ratepayers have anything to do with it. Here is an interesting video for you to watch. Penny did not answer our question but she admitted that there were credible sceptical scientists who would be on the panel of the I.C.C.C. (Idependent Climate
Change commission) Sounds to much like the inept, corrupt and now discredited
I.P.C.C.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axDz4cbaVPE