Ban Animal use in Circuses

Have you ever considered that wild circus animals are chained, caged and taken from town to town in a beast wagon which means they are constantly on the move and/or made to live in cramped and totally unsuitable accommodation?

The RSPCA believes that this is wrong.

All animals have certain requirements, which need to be met for their sense of well being. For large animals like elephants, lions and tigers they need a large amount of space to be able to move around and to socialise with their own kind.

Elephants in the wild may travel 40 kilometres a day, mud bathe and live in social groups - in the circus they are chained or confined to a small space and are only able to stand up, lie down or shuffle a few paces backwards and forwards. Lions and tigers are shut in their beast wagons for over 90% of the time. They too need to be able to socialise and roam freely.

The RSPCA is opposed to the use exotic wild animals in circuses and believes that it is impossible for the activities of wild animals in circuses to ever achieve any worthwhile goals in education, research or conservation.

Why the RSPCA opposes the use of wild animals in Circuses

The RSPCA's greatest concern is the disparity between the conditions imposed on wild animals by circus life and the environment that these animals need for their well being. Life in the wild can not be replicated on the back of transportation trucks or at circus sites around the country.

The RSPCA's main concerns for circus animals are:

� Continual transportation.
� Continual confinement.
� Unnatural social groups.

Regardless of the number of generations wild animals have been in captivity, captive born wild animals have not lost their natural instinct to socialise and need to roam freely. Wild circus animals often show their distress through abnormal behaviour, also known as displacement activity. This can take the form of constant swaying, bobbing, weaving or pacing up and down.

Basis for the RSPCA Concerns

The RSPCA's concerns over the use of wild animals in circuses are based on the problems resulting from their close confinement and continual transportation.

These concerns are supported by empirical evidence contained within a study of circus animals carried out in the United Kingdom and reviewed by the UK RSPCA. RSPCA Australia believes that the major problems with the keeping of wild animals in circuses identified within this report are equally applicable to circuses in Australia.

The data from the UK Report shows that in UK circuses wild animals spent the majority of their time in close confinement: big cats (tigers and lions) spent over 90% of their time in their night or travel quarters, which on average provided less than 0.5 cubic metres of space per animal; Elephants were found to be kept in close confinement for over 70% of the time.

The report also found evidence of high levels of abnormal (stereotypic) behaviours. These are defined as behaviours which are clearly not part of the species' natural behaviour, and include undirected pacing, head-weaving and bar-biting. High levels of stereotypic behaviour are generally accepted as being indicative of stress and suggest that the conditions in which they are held do not allow adequate expression of the animals' natural behavioural repertoire. All species of wild animals in the circuses studied in the UK report showed abnormal behaviour patterns, occupying up to 30% of their time.

RSPCA Australia has no reason to believe that the conditions in Australian circuses are significantly different from those which resulted in the problems identified in the UK report. The RSPCA believes that the nature of circus life is such that it cannot provide a suitable environment for those species of wild animals which are traditionally used in circuses.

How you can Help?

One of the most effective ways in which you can help is to request a Local Council ban on renting land to circuses using wild animals.

Over 35 councils throughout Australia have taken the progressive step of banning circuses with caged wild animals from performing on council-owned land. If your council is one of those which still allows its land to be used for this entertainment, and you wish to approach it with a request for a ban, here are some guidelines:

Check your Facts

It is always worth checking to see whether your council has already banned circuses using caged wild animals. So contact your local council office and ask.

Collect Signatures

If your council has no ban, you should start your campaign by collecting signatures on a petition. Remember that the more signatures collected from local residents, the stronger your case will become. You can ask your supporting councillor to present the petitions, or have them sent, together with letters of support, to the RSPCA.

Find the Appropriate Committee

Any request for a ban on using caged wild animals in circuses must be put on the agenda of the appropriate committee. You will need to contact your local alderman or councillor. If you do not know who he/she is, then ask your local council office, or check at the library.

If your own alderman or councillor does not seem responsive to your request, find another who is sympathetic and willing to assist you. You can write or telephone several, to ask their views. Try to get support from all parties, so that it is a cross - party issue.