Circus Animals Banned

Imagine being a child at the circus becoming so enraptured by all the beautiful lights and colors and seeing the amazing animals perform tricks. What a child doesn’t see is the behind the scenes. The beating of the animals to get them to perform these amazing tricks and the sorrow on their face while performing. Wild animals have been held in captivity for decades all around the world. Whether they be held as pets, in zoos, or for entertainment purposes. Along the years people have advocated for animals rights like the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), which was one of the first animal rights organizations founded in 1866. A popular target for animal rights activists have been in circuses. Today many circuses

It is true that there are some circuses who don’t physically beat animals and choose not to harm animals physically, however there are forms of abuse other than physical that some people are unaware of. Because circus animals are abused beyond physical, all circuses should be set under harsher banning laws. Animals being locked in cages and taken away from their homes can be a form of psychological and emotional abuse. A research article, edited and cited by the Center for Cellular and Molecular Biology who are a biotechnology research establishment in India, discusses a study of the effects of wildlife in captivity, specifically the effects on the animal 's biology. The study, on Bengal tigers and leopards in Indian zoos, demonstrated stereotypical behavior of animals in captivity from stress compared to the biological and environmental factors the animals faced. The animals are kept in an enclosed space different than the endless space they would have in the wild. The animals also have to adapt to the new environment they are in which can affect their biological makeup. Animals in zoos at least have an advantage of being kept in relatively the same area and environment while animals in the circus are forced to constantly move around and adapt causing immense stress on the animal. Furthermore according to a PETA article regarding the abuse of circus animals, when the circus is over animals may be housed in small crates or a solitary confinement that can cause harmful psychological effects. Like primates for example who are very social and, in their natural habitat, live in large spaces and tight knit communities suffer due to lack of space and companionship. Both articles research illustrate that although the animals are not undergoing visible physical abuse, they are still being abused