wild animals in circuses
Last year, a public consultation found that 94.5% of those who responded supported a ban on wild animal acts in circuses.
Labour announced last year that they were planning to introduce a ban if re-elected.
The long-standing Lib Dem policy is to ban the use of all animals, except horses and dogs, in circuses.
The Government announced that it would make an announcement in Autumn, then Winter, then before Christmas, then in the New Year... now "soon".
This delayed response means that another season of animal circuses is about to start. Over the next month, wild animal circuses will be back on the road, including an elephants, tigers, camels and zebras.
Let's make sure this is the last wild animal circus tour!
Fiona
shared this idea
82 comments
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tracy
commented
No animal should be subjected to the confinement endured by circuses and other "entertainment" facilities such as zoos. Also, we've all seen the horrors of how the animals are tortured to get them to do their "tricks". Its about time the government stepped in to stop ALL animals being in circuses, including dogs and horses. They don't deserve to be treated in this way either.
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Lorraine Furneaux
commented
I can't believe only 408 people have voted for this so far. I agree with Bruce Denney with regard to intensive farming and the supermarket culture of promoting cheap fish, meat and eggs - but we should also be able to look at something like cruelty to animals in captivity and do something about it now. The two issues are not co-dependent. Whilst we wait, and wait, hundreds of beautiful animals will have to endure pain, suffering, a miserable existence and, as we've seen this week with poor Anne the elephant, torture and abuse. If as you say, Denney, this is educational, then we should be afraid. You're right, circuses do "...cause debate and discussion", as we've seen this week: we have been reminded of the very negative side of the industry and people are talking about it. "...make people think about animals in a different way"? Yes, it would appear so: either as objects to torment for the pleasure of a few, or vulnerable beings that badly need our help. There is no need to wait for anything. Please can we just get this government to wake up and stop putting this off, and do something about it now. No more animals in circuses.
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Pat Grove
commented
Wild animals in a circus, thought we were a nation of animal lovers. It's the 21st Century, there is no need for this cruel entertainment to continue. Ban it, simple.
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Alison Harrold
commented
The current case of Anne the Elephant makes this an urgent appeal. She is 58 years old and arthritic, she can't wait forever for the law to change to give her a stress free retirement from the circus.
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Zoe Bremer
commented
I love to see horses and ponies in circuses. Very often they receive a much better standard of training than any in riding schools (to High School level in many cases) and are always kept at grass in boroughs that demand that circuses farm out all their grazing animals. It would be nice to see rescued horses taken on by circuses, trained up to High School level then returned to their sanctuaries for fostering.
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Maria
commented
Wild animals and all animals deserve love and respect, they belong and should be living in their own natural habitats, they have feelings and suffer like we do. All animals in circuses are being abused, forcing them to do some "tricks" that they are not used to, due to their own nature. They are chained, beated, electro-shocked and kept in captivity in small cages with horrible conditions. That's truly heartbreaking, so we all need to stop this cruelty seriously and do something about it. We don't want animals in such ways of "entertaiment". Allow all animals live their own lives where they should be, FREE IN THE WILD.
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Hazel Moore
commented
When are you going to listen to your people WE DO NOT WANT ANIMALS, ANY ANIMALS IN SITUATIONS WHERE THEY ARE TORTURED, TRAUMATISED OR DISTRAUGHT. Would you put your children in a circus to perform, no of course not. Animals have souls too and deserve care and respect from all humans.
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Evelyne van Zyl
commented
Animals belong in the wild. Using and abusing them in the name of "entertainement" is outdated, irresponsible, useless (aren't there enough other entertainement facilities in the 21st century?!!). Animals are living beings with needs, feelings and social structures, they should be treated with respect. Animals would never choose a career in the entertainment business if they could voice their opinion!! Or would you like to be caged, chained, dragged from one town to another and go through harsh - most of the time painful - training for a lifetime ? Let's leave animals in peace... there are many wonderful great dazzling circus-acts performed by humans which are far more entertaining and fun than seeing animals forced to perfom ridiculous tricks which furthermore show absolutely nothing of their true nature and has no educational value at all for children.
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Marcia Simpson-James
commented
Using animals as 'entertainment' is a crass as it gets. End the practice now, and allow the animals to live their lives out in peace. This is a form of cruelty that we should be avoiding like the plague.
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sally
commented
circuses do 'next to no harm' to the people paying to watch elephants 'perform...these beautifull animals are 'harmed they have been tortured and 'broken' in order to stand on their heads and 'entertain' no animal should be so barbarically treated
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Bruce Denney
commented
Define what a "Not wild" animal that can be kept in captivity is.
Horses, Cats, Pigs, Sheep, Chickens, Llama, Goat, Bison, Yaks, Snails, Bees. where does the line get drawn and what is it?
What about Zebra steaks, is this a domestic animal on show?
What about a kids petting zoo?Why do some animals deserve freedom and not others?
Circuses do next to no harm compared to intensive farming yet are educational and cause debate and discussion make people think about animals in a different way.
If we were to be objective we would see that the priorities are wrong, we should shut down all intensive farming before we shut down the circus. We are not ready to do that yet, so making intensive farming a little less intensive and trying to promote better welfare would get better results, and we can do that ourselves now in the supermarket with our wallets by turning our backs on the intensive, cheap, fish meat and eggs.
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Caroline
commented
Wild animals are WILD ANIMALS. They belong IN THE WILD and not in circuses for 'entertainment' purposes.
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Alexandra
commented
I don't go to circus because of the captivated animals in it. By knowing that the animals are captivated in horrible conditions and being trained cruetly It is not interesting at all! Shame and cruel!
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Saleha J
commented
You wouldn't want to be taken away from your home or locked in cages too small to contain you or beaten and forced to entertain for a living - these animals deserve their freedom. They don't need an audience, they need our support.
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sally
commented
about time animal circuses were banned and the evil 'humans' profiting from them dumped out at sea for the fish,whales and sharks to feast on..............simply evil and cruel..leave them in the wild where they belong.
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anne rawle
commented
wild animals belong in the wild
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eleveneleven commented
Please also join me in boycotting the movie Water For Elephants - that actually used abused captive elephants in the movie about the plight of abused captive elephants!!!! MORONS!!!!
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nikelby
commented
I'm so so glad that more and more people are getting on this bandwagon!! i've never been to a circus because my Mother boycotted them and I was raised knowing what horrible treatment these animals have to endure, I, therefore, brought my kids the same way, and I'm proud to say that my grand children are learning to appreciate what we are trying to for them.
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nikelby
commented
I'm so so glad that more and more people are getting on this bandwagon!! i've never been to a circus because my Mother boycotted them and I was raised knowing what horrible treatment these animals have to endure, I, therefore, brought my kids the same way, and I'm proud to say that my grand children are learning to appreciate what we are trying to for them.
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nikelby
commented
I'm so so glad that more and more people are getting on this bandwagon!! i've never been to a circus because my Mother boycotted them and I was raised knowing what horrible treatment these animals have to endure, I, therefore, brought my kids the same way, and I'm proud to say that my grand children are learning to appreciate what we are trying to for them.
