Many children dream of running away to the circus, but few realize that it is likely that the animals forced to preform in circuses dream of running from it. Against their nature, these animals are forced to preform unnatural and often painful acts. If people actually knew the details of what went on behind the scenes of visiting circuses, they would lose their appeal very quickly.
Many circus setups do not have the funding to properly care for their animals, so animals suffer. The �big hit� animals the circuses �use� are genereally large and active, and are forced into confinement in small cages used to transport them. The problem with this situation is that they are always travelling, and the animals are only released from the cages for training and preformances, if that. The Animal Welfare Act (AWA) merely requires that the animals have enough room to stand up and turn around when confined, yet even these minimal regulations are routinely ignored. For example, in a 2-year period, Ringling Bros. And Barnum & Bailey Circus was fined for 65 violations of the AWA.
An animal rights activist who did undercover work in a traveling circus was appaled that proper drinking water was often not provided. Traveling circuses may visit as many as 150 towns and cities a year, and not all have suitable water for the circus animals. If water is limited, the animals cannot drink, bathe, or have their cages cleaned. This is especially hard on animals like elephants, they bathe frequently in the wild. Food is often limited as well.
Climate is another important criterion that is not being met. The climate of creatures like polar bears, for example, is vastly different than that of tigers. Yet, these creatures are expected to live in the same conditions, often with little or no food and water. Veterinarians are rarely available to treat these exotic animals, and many have died when regular medical attention could have easily prevented such an event.
During the winter, the animal preformers may be kept in crates or in stalls (as in a barn), and some are even housed in transport vehicles. Few circuses have the funds or the desire to
http://www.animaldefense.com/Circus.html
http://www.animaldefense.com/Education/CircusFacts.html
http://www.circusspotlight.org/cs_circus_facts.htm
http://www.peta.org/mc/facts/fsent4.html
http://www.rspca.org.uk/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=RSPCACampaigns/Elephants/FactsAndReports&articleid=1024473695329