Circuses Should Be Banned - Essay Example

Different animals are used by circuses to entertain audiences. However, these animals which include elephants and tigers do not jump through hoops or engage in such activities because they want to (PETA, 2017). On the contrary, they perform these difficult tasks given that they are afraid of the repercussions if they fail to do as required. To compel animals to act, the trainers abuse the animals using different painful methods found in the circus business like whips, muzzles and boohoo among others. This paper argues that animal circuses should be banned as they are in violation of animal rights.

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Constant Detention

Animals spend 97% of their lives behind bars since circuses operate throughout the year and in all the weather extremes. When on transit, most of the animals are confined to the trucks and cannot access to basic needs like food and water. While the elephants are locked using chains, the big cats are restricted to smelly cages where they eat, sleep and urinate. Worse still is that they remain caged after getting to their destinations and are chained in parking lots and the various basements of the areas (PETA, 2017). Statistics indicates that animals are caged for more than 26 hours, and in some scenarios, it was long as 60 to 90 hours.

Detention means that babies are separated from their parents immediately after birth. Traveling circuses use mature and old animals in their performance, and this animal is social animals by nature, yet the animals are taken away from their parents while they are young. As such, most of these young ones require surviving on their own in an environment where they are not capable of exhibiting many of their natural behavior. Just like human beings, these animals end up developing stress-related illnesses, extreme frustration, and depression. This is completely in human, remember most of these young ones do not survive and die prematurely while those that are being gauged are dying (Beirne, 1999).

Animals Poses Danger to Human Beings

It must also be emphasized that the circuses pose a threat to the public (PETA, 2017). These animals are subjected to periods of beatings and other cruel treatments and could snap in the process. It becomes difficult for the trainers and the public to protect themselves when these animals become rebellious. For instance, elephants have run amok through the towns, destroyed buildings and attacked the people. While some have been injured, other elephants have been killed using bullets. In the course of Moolah Shrine Circus that was held in 2014 in Missouri, three elephants got loose for almost forty-five minutes. They had destroyed vehicles before the handlers took control of the situation (Ascione, & Shapiro, 2009).

Furthermore, naturally behave wildly and poses a possible harm to the circus and the audience. For example, during the performance, an elephant can refuse to lie down, and in such a scenario, most trainers respond by mistreating the elephant and beating it up as they need to perform. Since most the handlers frequently use techniques that are abusive, the animals that they do train might become violent and temperamental something that might speedy attacks to the crowd. For instance, in 1994, an elephant by the name Tyke killed her trainer while performing and ran over the street of Honolulu where it injured people and destroyed properties.

Physical and Psychological Punishment to AnimalMost of the animals handlers do train these animals in the dark and disturbing world that is hidden from the public eye. But, it has been identified that trainers expose these animals to physical torture while trying to force them to learn the tricks they are required to perform on stage. For example, some film footages shot by various investigators shows that tools such as electric prods, tight collars, and other barbaric toll are used to punish the animals until it gets it right. Remember, you are forcing an animal to something that it is not used to, and hence there should be other lighter ways of making it get it right.

Most important is the need to understand that animal cruelty is not just limited to cases that comprise physical harm (RSPCA, 2016). Instead, causing psychological harm to these animals which are achieved in the form of terror and distress might also be classified as animal cruelty. Based on the different forms of violence against animals, animal cruelty has been defined as any act or omission that leads to unnecessary harm to an animal. The animals are separated from others, and they tend to feel lonely hence suffers psychologically.

In conclusion, animal circuses should be banned as they violate animal rights. It is not in doubt that animal circuses have been around for ages. However, though the sight of these animals jumping over fire, standing on hind legs or riding a bicycle could appear entertaining, it must be emphasized that these animals are subjected to abuse, depression, and confinement. In most instances, training circus animals are misrepresented to make it seem as if they perform voluntarily. However, this is not the case given that these animals have been conditioned to adhere to orders of the trainer or face the music. On the other hand, circuses and those in charge in training could claim to promote the best practices and address the plight of the animals. However, these animals have undergone pain and suffered in silence. It is time to act and ensure that animal rights are protected.

References

Ascione, F & Shapiro, D. (2009). People and animals, kindness and cruelty: Research directions

And policy implications. Journal of Social Issues, 65(3), 569--587

Beirne, P. (1999). For a speciesist criminology: Animal abuse as an object of study.

Criminology, 37, 117-147.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals {PETA}. (2017). Circuses. Retrieved from

http://www.peta.org/issues/animals-in-entertainment/circuses/