Today's topic is animals used in circuses: As if you didn't know.. tigers, bear, elephants, and other animals do not voluntarily balance on balls, jump through rings of fire, ride bicycles, or stand on their heads. They perform them because they are afraid of what will happen to them if they don't. There is no such thing as positive reinforcement in circuses when training like you or I do at home to teach your dog to sit. There are only different degrees of punishment and deprivation. These uncomfortable and meaningless tricks are performed in fear of tight collars, bull hooks, muzzles, whips, electric prods, and other painful tools.
The most common circus we all know is the Ringling Brothers. Ugh, you couldn't pay me to attend one of these shows. Animals, especially elephants are hit & beaten, poked, prodded, and jabbed with sharp hooks, often until they are bloody. The public doesn't know of the ropes, bull hooks, and electric shock that animals endure. How cruel to force baby elephants to be torn away from their mothers to learn tricks with a very scary punishment if they do not obey or catch on quick enough.
They get away with abuse because no government agencies monitor their sessions. Undercover footage has shown that elephants are beaten with bull hooks and shocked with electric prods, big cats are dragged by heavy chains around their necks and hit with sticks, bears are whacked and prodded with long poles, and chimpanzees are kicked with riding crops. Carson & Barnes trainers have even been documented using blowtorches on elephants. (I have seen it, OUCH!) Traveling all of the time means animals are confined to trucks, trailers, and boxcars for days in all sorts of weather conditions without access to necessities and veterinary care. In these confined cages they eat, drink, sleep, defecate, and urinate all in the same place. On average elephants are chained for 26 to even 100 hours straight! Tigers and lions usually live and travel in cages that provide barely enough room to turn around.. 2 cats to one cage, often.
Frustrated by years of beatings, bull hooks, and shackles, some elephants snap. Trainers and the public cannot protect themselves. Many humans and of course animals have been killed during these times. I have never been to the circus.. and never will.. but I must say if I ever want to, I will go visit Cirque du Soleil or maybe the New Pickle Family Circus.. one that leaves animals in peace and entertains with jugglers and acrobats.
The most common circus we all know is the Ringling Brothers. Ugh, you couldn't pay me to attend one of these shows. Animals, especially elephants are hit & beaten, poked, prodded, and jabbed with sharp hooks, often until they are bloody. The public doesn't know of the ropes, bull hooks, and electric shock that animals endure. How cruel to force baby elephants to be torn away from their mothers to learn tricks with a very scary punishment if they do not obey or catch on quick enough.
They get away with abuse because no government agencies monitor their sessions. Undercover footage has shown that elephants are beaten with bull hooks and shocked with electric prods, big cats are dragged by heavy chains around their necks and hit with sticks, bears are whacked and prodded with long poles, and chimpanzees are kicked with riding crops. Carson & Barnes trainers have even been documented using blowtorches on elephants. (I have seen it, OUCH!) Traveling all of the time means animals are confined to trucks, trailers, and boxcars for days in all sorts of weather conditions without access to necessities and veterinary care. In these confined cages they eat, drink, sleep, defecate, and urinate all in the same place. On average elephants are chained for 26 to even 100 hours straight! Tigers and lions usually live and travel in cages that provide barely enough room to turn around.. 2 cats to one cage, often.
Frustrated by years of beatings, bull hooks, and shackles, some elephants snap. Trainers and the public cannot protect themselves. Many humans and of course animals have been killed during these times. I have never been to the circus.. and never will.. but I must say if I ever want to, I will go visit Cirque du Soleil or maybe the New Pickle Family Circus.. one that leaves animals in peace and entertains with jugglers and acrobats.
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