Because of its itinerant nature, no circus, even with the best intentions, can offer wild animals’ conditions, neither physical nor social, that guarantee them a minimum of well-being. In this post we compare the natural behavior of animals with their conditions in circuses exposing the health and psychological problems they suffer in these facilities.
Reptiles
Circus performances with reptiles cause anxiety to these animals. Circuses cannot offer these delicate animals’ possibilities to behave according to their natural instincts. Reptiles react very sensitively to all kinds of vibrations and temperature changes and are therefore totally unsuitable for frequent transport.
Baboons
In the Wild: Baboons of species normally kept in circuses live in social groups of 20 to 200 individuals. These primates are distributed over great distances and their territory can cover up to 30 km. Common problems: Baboons can carry STLV, a retrovirus potentially transmissible to humans. The disease caused in non-human primates by this virus is quite severe. Transmission of the virus to humans is possible (mainly, but not only, by bites and scratches), but the real zoonotic potential of this disease is not yet quantifiable. Given the similarity of the STLV virus to the human HTLV virus (human T lymphotropic virus) responsible for a malignant and fatal lymphoma, infected animals must be handled with extreme care and attention.
Rhinos
In the wild: Rhinos feed on more than 30 different varieties of grasses as well as aquatic plants and tree twigs. They are solitary animals although sometimes they live in small groups and cover territories of about 20 km2. Water is vital for these animals. They usually sharpen their horns as well as wallow in the mud or take sand baths. In the circus: All species of rhinoceros are in serious danger of extinction, for this reason alone their possession in circuses is absolutely unacceptable. Moreover, due to their social and biological characteristics (rhinos are solitary animals that inhabit large territories) it is impossible for a circus to keep these animals appropriately to their individual needs.
Seals and Sea Lions
In the wild – these animals are specialized, gregarious aquatic predators and some species live in large groups. They feed on a variety of fish, squid, crustaceans and starfish; some also eat penguins. All species are very physically active and very fast swimmers. California seals dive for 15 minutes at depths of 100m. Although some species are sedentary, others change habitat according to the season. All have a very marked game and exploration behavior. In circuses: these animals usually live in isolation or in pairs and in very small spaces with limited access to water.
Camels, Dromedaries, Vicuñas and Lamas
In the wild: Dromedaries live in permanent communities and in desert or semi-desert areas. Like camels, they live up to 40 years and adapted to life in warm areas and can travel up to 200 km a day, although the average is 30-40 km. The lamas live in meadows and shrub areas between 2,300 and 4,000 m high. In circuses: these animals should have access to move freely around an outdoor space of 300 m2 (plus an additional 50m2 per additional animal) for at least 8 hours a day. They should be able to shelter from the wind and cold, the ground should be dirt or sand and branches should be offered to occupy their interest. These animals should not be tethered and should be housed at least in pairs.
Zebras
In the wild: Zebras are social animals, which, even in large herds, maintain small groups whose family ties are highly durable. Its territories are between 30 and 600 km2. Their defense reaction is flight and when they are cornered, the legs. In circuses: They are often observed housed in small blocks or tied or alone. They can be observed performing stereotyped rocking movements. They should have access to an outdoor area of a minimum of 150 m2 (plus 25m2 per additional animal) for at least 8 hours a day. They should have a dirt or sand floor for dust baths and have branches as environmental enrichment. Keep them tethered and offer visual barriers should be avoided
Bears
In the wild, these animals are agile climbers and spend most of their time alone and on the move in search of food. The territory of a female is between 3 and 40 km2. In Circuses: In captivity, bears often show stereotyped behaviors, especially when they live in small, empty enclosures or when they spend nights indoors. They live in inhospitable conditions with no swimming pools, structures for climbing, researching and playing, or natural substrate for digging. In captivity, these animals need at least roofless enclosures, visual barriers and enrichment in the way they offer food.
Lions
In the wild: They are highly social animals that live in groups of between 2 and 20 individuals. They are very gregarious animals and are active at night, while during the day they rest or interact with others. Before giving birth, the lionesses are separated from the group for a few weeks. They live in territories between 26 and 226 km2. In circuses: Along with tigers, and other carnivores with large territories, lions are the animals that show more levels of stress and psychological problems in captivity. The close presence of other species, such as zebras, horses, camels and goats, species that would be their prey, is also stressful for them. Common problems: Like other big cats, these carnivores in captivity exhibit stereotypical, self-destructive, and abnormal behaviors. They usually suffer from fibrous osteodystrophy due to mineral imbalances in the diet and gastroenteritis, among others due to stress due to disturbances such as traffic noise, the public or music.
If you want to read similar articles to How circus animals live, we recommend that you enter our category of The Animal World.
Councils
- From Infocircos, we recommend that you never go to a circus that uses animals. There are many other shows to have fun without anyone having to suffer.