Circuses

"I never thought much of the courage of a lion-tamer. Inside the cage he is at least safe from people."
--George Bernard Shaw

Animal Circus Ban Caravan 2003 - Tour Dates:

According to the NS Standards for exhibiting circus animals, the circus must post signage about the dangers that these wild animals pose to the public. As you can see from the photo, there is nothing to indicate how dangerous these captive elephants can be to the unsuspecting public. Over 50 people have been killed by rampaging captive elephants in the past 10 years.



During our tour with Tarzan Zerbini, we witnessed many times when the public came within VERY close proximity (less than 6 feet) to the elephants and there were no circus employees to be found. When circus employees were present, they allowed kids to feed treats to the elephants which is in violation of the NS Standards.




This elephant was constantly rubbing herself against the ropes which contained her. You can see from the other photos, she has an abnormal vulva which appears to be painful. We have applied for the veterinary reports via the Freedom of Information Act. We're not sure if this condition is being treated.





Protest and Continuing Investigation in Truro, New Glasgow


Another breach to the NS Standards for Exhibiting Circus Animals was observed in Truro. According to the standards, the animals always need a place to get away from the public view, if they wish to do so. The following photo was taken from the parking lot. As you can see, the elephants are on constant display.




Click HERE to read about ARCH's Animal Circus Ban Caravan 2002!
Click HERE to see some of ARCH's Circus Protest pictures for 2001 and 2002!

At first glance, the circus environment might appear to be fun and exciting for an animal. Upon closer inspection, one realizes the harsh training methods that circus animals endure and the despicable conditions in which they are forced to live every day of their lives.

Physical Abuse
Confinement
False Education
Threat to Public Safety
NS Municipal Bylaws
NS Provincial Ban
NS Standards
Non-Animal Circuses





Physical Abuse Regardless of whether these animals are stolen from the wild or born in captivity, they are wild and exotic animals that need severe training to learn how to perform unnatural "tricks". Training methods involve muzzles, bullhooks, whips, chains and are only successful when the animal's spirit is broken. Click HERE to order "The Plight of Performing Animals" (Canadian Federation of Human Societies), and watch Andy Lodge, a former elephant trainer, tell his story about the behind the scenes truth of training circus animals.

"One trainer I knew made a wound at the top of an elephant's head by constantly driving a nail into his head. Then he could control the animal by poking the animal with his ankus in this very tender spot," says former elephant trainer Andy Lodge. "The animals live in cramped, disgusting conditions. They endure total mental abuse - they become neurotic, they rock back and forth - totally unnatural. In order to train an animal, you need to break their spirit, you get the chains, ropes and you stretch that animal. You pull on all four legs until the animal goes down. You beat and make the animal submit. You never give up until she submits to what you want. To be an elephant trainer, you need to be the dominant one in the pen. We do it outside the public [view] - the ropes, hitting and breaking. The finished product is a perfeclty behaved little elephant. The public never knew how the elephant became that way. They don't know its spirit has been totally broken."

Confinement Circus animals are forced to travel and perform 50 weeks every year. They travel in undersized, barren cages with floors encrusted with feces and urine; they are often fed poor quality feed; provided with little or inadequate veterinary care; and observed exhibiting bizarre, often self-destructive, behaviors. The barest essentials are often not provided for these animals. Please check out www.ciruses.com for more information on charges laid against various animal circuses including the Tarzan Zerbini Circus which is leased by the Nova Scotia/PEI Shriners.

False Education The circus is rationalized in many minds by citing the educational value for the children. Perhaps this is the only or first time a child will ever see an elephant, tiger, lion or kangaroo. However, seeing a misrepresentation of animal behavior does not in any way benefit the inquisitive and caring child. The benefits that a child receives from watching a half hour animal act does not outweigh the harm of diminishing the quality of life for a wild and exotic animal. Children who attend the circus are seeing unnatural behaviors exhibited by animals in artificial environments under constant stress. They are learning that it is acceptable to demean animals and laugh at their antics. They are learning nothing about their natural environment, conservation or of the true dangers these animals pose to public safety.

Threat to Public Safety Since 1990, 50 people (children and adults) have been killed by rampaging, captive elephants, 70 big cats have been killed for "control" reasons, and there have been 46 human deaths and 150 human injuries from big cat attacks. There is very little protection to the circus spectator if a big cat or elephant were to get "out of control". These animals are under constant stress and are very dangerous, powerful animals.

NS Municipal Bylaws It is because of the threat to public safety, horrible living conditions and cruel training methods of animals, and the lack of educational value that many municipalities have banned wild and exotic animal acts, entirely. In N.S. for example, Argyle, Bridgewater, Digby, Shelburne and Yarmouth have all enacted bylaws banning the use of wild and exotic animal acts.

NS Provincial Ban ARCH, with the support of the Nova Scotia Humane Society, is pushing for the Provincial government to enact a Province-wide ban on circuses with wild or exotic animals, the first in Canada. We are currently circulating a petition to submit to the Provincial government. If you would like to add your voice in support of a provincial ban on wild and exotic animal acts, please contact ARCH, your local MLA, or Minister of the Department of Natural Resources Tim Olive.

NS Standards In 1999, provincial standards for exhibiting circus animals in Nova Scotia were adopted. These are the first and only such standards in Canada. Circuses may not hold primate, bear, pinniped, cetacean, amphibian or fish species, and must adhere to specified standards for other species. For example, if a circus wishes to bring elephants, they must build a suitable enclosure of a specificed size using electric fencing instead of tethering and may not allow the public to ride them. Click HERE to read the N.S. standards for exhibiting circus animals. These standards are rarely enforced and still do not solve the basic problem of confining animals and forcing them to perform against their will.

Regardless of one's definition of animal abuse, circus animals have no freedom and no choice. That in itself is enough to entice any compassionate, kind hearted and ethical human being to not support circuses that include animals as performers.

Non-Animal Circuses

Bindlestiff Family Circus
P.O. Box 1917
New York, NY 10009
212-726-1935
www.Bindlestiff.org

Circus Millennia
2700 S. Lang St.
Arlington, VA 22206
703-683-5040
Email

Circus Minimus
215 W. 88th St., Ste. 12G
New York, NY 10024
212-712-9644
E-Mail: kevcircus@aol.com

Circus Oz
P.O. Box 504
Port Melbourne 3207
Victoria, Australia
03-9646-8899
Email
(tours in the U.S. Nov.-Jan.)

Flying Fruit Fly Circus
P.O. Box 1101
Wodonga 3689
Australia
02-60242384
Email

Cirque Éos
P.O. Box 53017
Succursale Canardière,
Québec G1K 5K3
Canada
418-661-1961
Email

Cirque du San Jose
634 N. Eighth St.
San Jose, CA 94112
408-929-0678

Cirque du Soleil
1217 Notre-Dame St. E.
Montréal, Québec H2L 2R3
Canada
514-722-2324

Cirque Éloize
1801, rue d'Orléans
Montréal, Québec H1W 3R6
Canada
416-971-4838

Cirque Ingénieux
c/o The Booking Group
145 W. 45th St., 8th Fl.
New York, NY 10036
212-869-9280
Email

Earth Circus
P.O. Box 420189
San Francisco, CA 94142
650-726-6679

Fern Street Circus
P.O. Box 621004
San Diego, CA 92162
619-235-9756
Email

Flying High Circus
Richard Brinson, Director
FSU Circus
Tallahassee, FL 32306-3064
850-644-4874
Email

Gregangelo & Velocity Circus Troupe
225 San Leandro Way
San Francisco, CA 94127
415-664-0095
Email

Hiccup Circus
Hawaii's Volcano Circus
Educational Non-Profit Organizations
RR 2, Box 4524, Pahoa, HI 96778
Tel./Fax 808-965-8756

Lazer Vaudeville
621 S.W. First Ave.
Ocala, FL 34474
352-622-4404
Email

Make a Circus
755 Frederick St.
San Francisco, CA 94117
415-242-1414
Email

Mexican International Circus
c/o Xentel DM
609 14th St. N.W., Ste. 300
Calgary Alberta T2N 2A1
www.Mexicancircus.com
800-563-3014

The New Pickle Family Circus
50 Oak St., Ste. 303
San Francisco, CA 94102
415-487-7940