Circuses & Performing Animals: FAQs

An increasing number of countries have implemented full or partial bans on the use of all or some types of animals in travelling circuses; including England, Scotland & Wales.

Some countries have complete nationwide bans, whilst others may have regional bans in place. However, there are still many countries that have no legislation to prevent the use of wild animals in circuses.

Animal acts often move between circuses so if they are banned in one locality or country, they may well be moved to another. However, with more and more regional and national bans being enacted, demand for animals that are bred and trained to perform should reduce.

Born Free and others have rescued and rehomed animals confiscated from circuses, or donated by owners after a ban comes into force, and we are always on standby to help, where possible.

Where there is no specific legislation in place that prevents the use of wild animals in circuses and if the animals are legally owned by a circus, then it is virtually impossible to remove animals without the cooperation of their owners.

Sometimes a country authority has reason to seize an animal from a circus, e.g. due to lack of relevant permits or serious animal welfare concerns. In some cases, Born Free and others have been able to help rescue and rehome animals confiscated from circuses

A wild animal’s instincts are deeply ingrained and are not wiped out by a few generations of captive-breeding.

Take our pet cats, domesticated for thousands of years, and yet they still want to hunt and patrol territories. A life of constant travel, close confinement, physical domination and abusive training by humans will always be stressful to a wild animal.

Animals in circuses are often subjected to extremely poor living conditions. They are usually confined to small and barren cages or wagons, penned in small sections of a field or car park, or kept chained or tethered.

Animals are often confined for long periods of time in extreme temperatures, subject to high noise levels and unnaturally close contact with people (trainers, performers, and public).

Travelling circuses operate in such a way as to facilitate ease of frequent transport. Animals are transported from location to location (sometimes from country to country) in cramped conditions, repeatedly loaded and unloaded onto vehicles.

They are often transported over large distances, confined in small travelling cages or ‘beast wagons’. There have been incidents where vehicles carrying circus animals have been involved in horrific road accidents.

Circus animals may face an uncertain future when they grow too old or can no longer physically perform in shows.

It is often hard to know exactly what happens to these animals, but some may end up in zoos or in private ownership, whilst many may continue to travel with the circuses, never leaving their travelling cages. Occasionally animals may be retired and allowed to live out the rest of their lives in sanctuaries.

Training often relies heavily on physical domination, fear, punishment and repeated abuse, in an attempt to ensure these powerful, potentially dangerous animals comply in front of an audience.

Performance may be one of the most stressful aspects of a captive animal’s life. Circus animals are usually made to perform tricks or unnatural behaviours on demand in front of large and often noisy audiences. A big cat’s flattened ears, flinching eyelids and crouching posture are not indicative of an animal seeing the routine as pleasurable.

Some activities may lead to animals developing serious health problems. For example, joint problems might develop in elephants from repeatedly being forced to perform unnatural weight-bearing tricks, such as standing on their heads or hind legs.

Even when animals appear to be performing “natural behaviours” during a show (such as birds flying in displays), it is certainly not natural for animals to perform these behaviours on demand in front of noisy audiences.

Dolphins are naturally playful, curious and exuberant, but having to perform a repertoire of tricks on cue, day after day, in artificial pools or sea pens, is no fun for the animals involved.

Captive dolphins are normally trained to perform ‘circus-style’ tricks, whereby the animals receive a reward for performing the desired task, usually food. Some ex-dolphin trainers have reported that food is withheld and animals are punished during training if the behaviours are not carried out correctly.

READ OUR DOLPHINARIA FAQs

Captive birds of prey that are used for public flight displays, particularly those kept at falconry centres, are frequently held in small enclosures or sheds, tethered to a perch or post for hours at a time. Therefore, allowing them to fly in the open does provide some vital exercise and enrichment.

However, we don’t believe that a short period of flight perhaps once or twice a day is sufficient to meet the needs of such intelligent and skilful hunters.

Although many birds appear to be performing “natural behaviours” during a flight display, it is certainly not natural for these animals to perform these behaviours on demand in front of noisy audiences and they will have to be trained to do so.

Some captive birds have flown off during flight displays, including non-native species, which may then pose a risk to the local wildlife. Some have been injured or killed during flight displays, when they landed in another animal’s cage or enclosure. Members of the audience have also been injured by these powerful birds’ razor-sharp talons and beaks.

Whilst the way animals are kept, trained and forced to perform in zoos and other captive facilities is often similar to that endured by animals in travelling circuses, their welfare is often overlooked.

These activities have become increasingly unjustifiable, particularly in zoos, which are increasingly expected to prioritise conservation and public education. Many animal shows, presentations or public interactions are marketed as educational. However, these types of shows often involve animals performing unnatural behaviours, such as sea lions balancing balls on their noses, parrots roller-skating, elephants standing on their heads or painting pictures, or tigers jumping through hoops of fire. They are often accompanied by loud music.

Animals may be trained to perform tricks or behaviours using ‘positive reinforcement’ techniques, where the animals may receive a reward for performing the desired task, usually food. Others may undergo more abusive methods, relying on fear, punishment and domination, to make sure they learn their cue to perform in front of an audience.

However, both methods usually involve repetitive training regimes, which do not prioritise the welfare of the animals. In reality the educational value of seeing an animal in unnatural conditions performing unnatural behaviours is highly questionable.

Exhibiting wild animals such as reindeers and penguins during Christmas celebrations and events, which often take place in busy shopping centres or other public places, sends an entirely false message that wild animals are tractable and are able to cope with transport, handling and public display.

Although these events may have been organised with good intentions, we are convinced that it is not in the best interests of the animals to be placed in such unnatural environments, often surrounded by crowds of people, loud noises, and flashing lights. Find out more about our work on mobile animal exhibits.

MOBILE ANIMAL EXHIBITS

Although many films and other productions now feature an impressive range of increasingly realistic computer-generated imagery (CGI) animals, real-life animals are also still used. CGI is labour intensive and time-consuming, therefore many production companies decide it is easier and quicker to just use real animals instead.

We believe this use of wild animals for film, TV, and advertising, which relies heavily on abusive and exploitative training techniques and regimes, is outdated, demeaning and unacceptable.

While the use of GCI is a good alternative to using real animals, the way they are depicted is still vitally important – computer-generated animals in popular films can lead to an increase in the demand for them as pets, which can have devastating consequences for the welfare of real wild animals.

Yes, however the film ‘Born Free’ was released in 1966. Since then, the understanding of wild animals – their natures, needs and desires – has improved dramatically.

Making Born Free led our foundation’s founders, and stars of the film, Virginia McKenna and Bill Travers, to the realisation that wild animals should not be used for entertainment, and that wild animals are so intrinsically linked to their wild habitats that they simply don’t belong in captivity.

BORN FREE’S HISTORY: FIND OUT MORE