Por Rocio Irupé Vilariño Ortiz.
Introduction
This article will focus on the use of animals in circuses. A circus is defined by the Collins Dictionary as “a group that consists of clowns, acrobats, and animals which travels around to different places and performs shows.”(1) Simultaneously animals are described as “living creatures” with whom humans share the planet earth.(2) With the aim of protecting them, the United Nations Organisation has in 1978 approved the Universal Declaration of Animal Rights, which states that all species have the right to live free in their natural habitat and they should not be exploited for human recreation. However, plenty of voices, like Animanaturalis, argue that circuses may violate this law.(3)
In order to analyse this issue, this report will assess the arguments presented, both internationally and within individual countries, by those who are in favour of the continuation of these performances and the ones who are not. Moreover, it will examine the causes and consequences of the issue; it will evaluate the sources used and conclude with the proposal of a unique course of action and my own perspective in the debate.
Worldwide opinions on the issue
As it has already been introduced, from a global scope there is considerable controversy among society whether this type of entertainment should be banned or not. This section of the research examines some of the reasons provided by the most important voices which stand on each side of the debate.
On the one hand, the European Circus Association, an organisation which aims to promote circuses in Europe, maintains that they should not be banned since they are a major part in the culture of the continent.(4) Besides, the Association defends the training of animals by stating that only rewards are used to teach them and that they are beneficial for their intelligence and physical health.(5) As well as that, Douglas McPherson, has a blog in which he affirms that the performances educate people by vitalizing their appreciation for other creatures, and he suggests that the already existing laws which regulate these performances are enough to keep animals safe without banning circuses.(6)
On the other hand, corporations that defend animals, like Faunalytics, hold that these shows are deleterious for these creatures because they “spend approximately 90% of their time confined to cages,” which “are typically only a quarter of the area recommended for the animal.”(7) Moreover, as specified by Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation, this type of living “deprives them from their ability to freely engage in instinctual behaviours,” and even forces them to learn tricks which are completely unnatural to their conduct.(8) Animals Asia, unlike the European Circus Association, further declares that the techniques used to train the animals involve inducing fear, depriving food and punishing them physically. Additionally, the Organization contradicts Douglas McPherson, protesting that circuses deliver a negative educational message by exhibiting a false reality of animals’ lives and insinuating the idea that humans can use them for their own needs. Likewise, it refutes his conjecture that the laws which affect the animals operate well, by sharing an investigation into animal circuses in Vietnam which found that “100% of facilities failed to meet the animals’ basic needs.”(9)
National approaches to the issue
From the perspective of the individual countries, statistics recollected by Animals Defender International, show that nowadays there are 48 countries which have started an initiative to restrict the use of animals in circuses, and 147 which haven’t taken actions yet.(10) Thereupon, this part of the article focuses on the laws and the views from the government and the society in these different regions of the world.
In the first case, among the nations with limitations, research made by Helen Britt Liidemann, points out the United Kingdom as one of the fundamental ones, since in 1998, with the closing of the Mary Chipperfield Promotions, it was the first one to begin with the opposition to this type of entertainment, influencing many other countries to get involved as well. Similarly, Bolivia is another important country considering that in 2009 it was the first one to ban the use of all animals, including wild and domesticated, in these shows.(11)
On the contrary, among the countries with no legislation protecting this kind of animals, a study developed by EpData illustrated that Germany is one of the worst, given that it has the largest amount of circus companies in Europe and the poorest laws regulating them.(12) However, according to the European Circuses Association, a recent survey has found that “85.5% of the population likes to see one or another type of animal in the circus,” which portrays that the citizens of the nation agree with the minor policy of the government.(13) In a similar manner, the USA is also considered to be late regarding this issue. As reported by Animals Defenders International the only law they have is the Animal Welfare Act, which is generally infringed by trainers. Nevertheless, in contrast with the Germans, a study has displayed that more than two-thirds of the Americans feel unsettled by the use of animals in the performances and do expect the government to implement an efficacious law regulating it.(14)
The persistence of animals in circuses: causes and consequences
The persistence of animal performances in circuses results from multiple underlying causes and, in turn, produces numerous consequences.
In the first place, a possible reason why this practice continues is the one pointed out by the Europe Group for Animals in a report, which states that nowadays an EU wide ban on the use of wild animals in circuses is necessary since national acts alone are not enough to prevent circuses practices because circus companies can continue travelling and performing in the member states which have no restrictions yet.(15) This drives me to conclude that, as well as this problem takes place in Europe, it may also occur on other continents in the world and it is because this is a global matter that is only being dealt with at the national level. As well as that, voices such as Animals Defenders International, with the example given of the USA’s Animal Welfare Act,(16) and Animals Asia, with the circuses in Vietnam,(17) have demonstrated that measures regulating animal conditions in circuses, without completely prohibiting them are not effective either as, in many cases, owners transgress the rules and continue to keep the creatures in deplorable circumstances. These are both equally serious causes as they indicate that the laws which have already been sanctioned are not enough to solve the problem and they insinuate the necessity of acting in a different and collaborative way.
Apart from the causes that contribute to the persistence of this problem, the problem, in turn, has brutal consequences, both for humans and for animals. Statistics recollected by Nicole Cosgrove in a post for Pet Keen, indicate that these shows are risky for circus members and crowds, as there have been several cases of animals injuring them in an attempt to escape. Besides, the harmful impact on animals is evidenced by facts such as that “125 big cats have died prematurely from being held in captivity” and “most captive elephants die 20 years prematurely.”(18) In my way of thinking, the negative effects on animals are much worse than on people because, while these happen occasionally, all the creatures which are now still kept in circuses are at this moment suffering from abuse and injured, being on the verge of death.
Course of action
The urgency of saving animals has led me to develop a course of action, which, after examining different international and national viewpoints and evaluating the multiple causes and consequences of the affair, I believe would be the most effective one in order to protect them. This solution consists of achieving that the United Nations Organisation declares a global ban on the use of all types of animals in circuses. This is arduous to accomplish and it would require the cooperation and commitment of international organizations, national governments and individuals around the world.
In the first place, it is each person’s role to support animal protection organisations and participate in movements that urge the government to enact laws against animal circuses, in order to reduce the influence of those who pretend to preserve these shows and, on the contrary, increase support for the belief that animals should not be used in entertainment. In the second place, at the national level, the politicians of all countries need to listen to the demands of their population and bring the matter before the United Nations Organisation so that it can be addressed cooperatively. Finally, the United Nations Organisation should take the most important action by sanctioning this law and establishing a strict control to ensure that it is being respected.
Evaluation of the reliability of sources
Having examined the arguments presented by the various sources used in this report, it is now important to assess their reliability.
In the first place, I gathered data and value judgments from the European Circus Association and Douglas McPherson, in order to understand the perspective of people who defend circuses. While researching this, I noticed that there are very few sources which support this view and, moreover, that those which do so, do not appear very reliable. This owes to the fact that they just contemplate the advantages of the matter and ignore the possibility of animals being injured. Additionally, the organisation, for example, may have a vested interest in defending this show, since its members are circus owners who benefit economically from it. This makes me realise that the people who support the view that circuses do not abuse animals may be basing themselves on untrustworthy evidence.
Otherwise, the information collected from animal defending organisations, like, AnimaNaturalis, Faunalytics, Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation, Animals Defender International, Animals Asia and Europe Group for Animals, to understand the view that is against circuses, seems to be more trustworthy, because the sources support their claims with valid evidence, such as personal testimonies from circus’ trainers who admit to have mistreated animals. Also, I can recognize that the statistics and figures provided by EPdata, Helen-Britt Liidemann and Pet Keen accurately illustrate how the issue is being handled at both the national and international level, as their authors appear to present this information in a neutral and objective manner. Therefore, as this evidence mainly supports the arguments advanced by the organisations that want to prohibit circuses, I can ultimately conclude that this side of the debate is the most valid.
Personal position and conclusion
The development of this research has slightly changed the way I viewed this issue when I first considered whether the use of animals in circuses should be banned worldwide. Before starting this investigation, I already had an inclination in favour of the position that argues that animals are mistreated in these shows, but when I found that the most reliable and unbiased sources also defend it, I was able to verify it. Knowing this, I began to deliberate a course of action for this problem. Although I first thought it was possible to have healthy animals performing in circuses just by establishing some regulations on the performances, my judgement changed after reading testimonies which proved these laws were often violated. Therefore, I concluded that the best alternative is to directly ban them. The final question that remained was whether this ban should be implemented through national measures or through coordinated international actions. From the beginning I was sure that an international approach was necessary since this issue affects all countries across the globe. Even so, my belief was reinforced when I found that national laws in several countries have not been sufficient to eliminate this industry, as circuses can continue operating in jurisdictions where restrictions have not been introduced yet.
In this way, this research has clearly shown that the use of animals in circuses should be prohibited all over the world because animals are truly mistreated in these shows. Supervision is insufficient to stop this cruelty and it is a problem that has a global scope and must be approached as such.
Rocio Irupé Vilariño Ortiz (19)
Estudiante de Abogacía
rocio.vilarino.ortiz@gmail.com
Bibliography
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[2] No Author. (No Date). Animal. Collins Dictionary. Online: https://www.collinsdictionary.com/es/diccionario/ingles/animal (accessed 07/28/22)
[3] No Author. (No Date). Circos con animales y las leyes ¿qué pasa a nivel internacional y nacional?. Animanaturalis. Online: https://www.animanaturalis.org/p/1490/Circos-con-animales-y-las-leyes-que-pasa-a-nivel-internacional-y-nacional (accessed 07/28/22)
[4] No Author. (No Date). Cultural Recognition. European Circus Association. Online: https://www.europeancircus.eu/culture/ (accessed 07/30/22)
[5] No Author. (No Date). Animal Welfare. European Circus Association. Online: https://www.europeancircus.eu/animals/ (accessed 07/30/22)
[6] McPherson, D. (2015, May 2). Circus Animals – 10 Reasons the Show Must Go On. Huffpost. Online: https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/douglas-mcpherson/circus-animals-10-reasons_b_6768110.html (accessed 07/31/22)
[7] No Author. (2009, July 31). Are Wild Animals Suited To A Travelling Circus Life?. Faunalytics. Online: https://faunalytics.org/are-wild-animals-suited-to-a-traveling-circus-life/ (accessed 07/31/22) Based on: https://www.federalcircusbill.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Iossa2009.pdf
[8] No Author. (No Date). Animals in Entertainment. Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation. Online: https://wildlife-rescue.org/services/advocacy/animals-in-entertainment/ (accessed 07/31/22)
[9] No Author. (2019, March 8). Why animals should not be in circuses?. Animals Asia. Online: https://www.animalsasia.org/us/media/news/news-archive/why-animals-should-not-be-in-circuses.html (accessed 07/31/22)
[10] No Author. (No Date). Worldwide Summary. Animals Defenders International. Online: https://www.federalcircusbill.org/briefings/worldwide-summary/ (accessed 07/31/22)
[11] Britt Liidemann, H. (2018). People’s attitude towards the use of animals in circuses. Tallinn University of Technology, p.14-15. Online: https://digikogu.taltech.ee/en/Item/2709c081-559b-4270-95ef-527fcdc6382b (accessed 07/28/22)
[12] No Author. (2021, December 8). Los circos con animales en España y en el mundo, datos y gráficos. EpData. Online: https://www.epdata.es/datos/circos-animales-espana-mundo-datos-graficos/341 (accessed 08/02/22)
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[15] No Author. (2021, March). Wild Animals in EU Circuses. Europe Group for Animals, p.32. Online: https://www.eurogroupforanimals.org/files/eurogroupforanimals/2021-08/E4A-Circus_Report-09-08-2021.pdf (accessed 08/02/22)
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[17] No Author. (2019, March 8). Why animals should not be in circuses?. Animals Asia. Online: https://www.animalsasia.org/us/media/news/news-archive/why-animals-should-not-be-in-circuses.html (accessed 07/31/22)
[18] Cosgrove, N. (2022, August 9)). 18 Disheartening Circus Animal Statistics & Facts: What to Know in 2022. Pet Keen. Online: https://petkeen.com/circus-animal-statistics/ (accessed 08/02/22)
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