The big news that has been splashed across my Facebook feed for the last couple of weeks is that of Feld entertainment, owners of The Ringling Bros. Barnum and Bailey Circus in the US, deciding to phase out its iconic elephant act. As I have, in my time, moved through various circus circles, traditional, contemporary and teaching in circus schools, it’s been interesting to see how this news has been greeted by those on my Facebook friend feed, as they reacted with either with delight or dismay.
A lot of people assume where on the animals in circus debate I sit, as I am an animal lover, vegetarian and a bit (ok, a lot) of a hippie. But I’m going to shatter that illusion now, as I am pro animals in the circus. That’s right, I AM PRO ANIMALS IN THE CIRCUS.
Let me tell you why.
I have toured around Australia with one of the last exotic animal circuses, and around the UK with a show that featured domesticated animals. There are no longer any shows with elephants in either country, so I am unable to comment on the specific issue here regarding performing pachyderms, however I can share my first hand experiences of being in such shows and hopefully bust a few myths along the way.
Myth #1: Animals are beaten to teach them tricks read the rest of the story here