The circus and animal "performers"

SnowyOwl_2

The circus has recently rolled into town, here in Newry, N.Ireland. It includes "acts" involving Siberian and Royal Bengal tigers (and a five month old tiger cub), horses, performing dogs, snakes, crocodiles, llamas....

I can just about tolerate the dogs and possibly the horses. But does anyone else find the use of wild animals being kept for such totally and utterly unnatural purposes unacceptable? Tigers are endangered yet here they are being trained and paraded for our amusement. The circus's website even has a picture of a tiger walking on its hind legs...oh how impressive. And it also has the cheek to offer "educational" visits to local schools...how could a useful lesson be imparted by a circus?

At least with zoos with a stretch of imagination they are doing something of value, but circuses using animals in this way just makes me sick. What do other people think?

s@sha

It does sound a bit 19th century. I didn't know these type of travelling animal circuses were still around, I thought they weren't allowed to use animals anymore.

IvanOpinion

I thought they were phasing out many of the more exotic animals as well. When the circus comes to Bangor it sets up just outside the town in a big field alongside the main carriageway. It is a very strange site driving home past a field with elephants, llamas and other weird animals in it.

Just a thought on a similar vein. When on holiday one of the hot topics is having a swim with the dolphins. In many cases, particularly Mexico these places are known as dolphin prisons were the animals are not necessarily well looked after and are expected to perform incessantly throughout the day. I have heard some people say that the places were large and the changing rooms were clean ... I have yet to see a dolphin in Marigold gloves and a pinney hecking out the changing rooms and 'large' to you may be considered to be a 'puddle' by a dolphin.

There are some very good dolphon enocunters throughout the Caribbean but beware of those that basically imprison their animals.

Ivan

nickinoo

I am shocked & appalled. I really thought animals in circuses had been outlawed. I wouldn't dream of visiting one.

SnowyOwl_2

Yeah, shocked and appalled was my reaction too. This particular circus is I believe from southern Ireland - it's called Duffy's. Laws here in NI are often different to the rest of the UK, though I don't know the law concerning the use of animals in this way.

It really galls that they are targeting schools with cut price tickets, early morning performances for school groups, "education" sessions outside of performance times in their "zoo" etc etc.

There is nothing at all to suggest that there is any local objection to this travelling cruelty show. Indeed I should imagine the council has actively supported it by providing some sort of entertainment licence.

I'm glad I am not the only one who is agog that this still going on, however the lack of local reaction to this circus's show would suggest that they will be back. I think I will at least write letters to the local papers and hope that they get published.