 "Photo: Andrea Lai")
Circuses advertise a joyful, colorful form of entertainment, but for circus animals, the shows hold dark promises of horrible living conditions that force animals into miserable confinements, according to animal advocacy groups.
Circuses featuring exotic animals may be banned from Austin in the future after Animal Defenders International, an animal rights group, presented an abuse report to the Austin City Council Friday.
The London-based group asked Austin City Council to ban these circuses in the city of Austin as part of the group's nationwide campaign.
Council member Lee Leffingwell, who was the only member to attend the presentation, said the council receives many e-mails concerning animal rights when a circus comes to Austin. Leffingwell added that a circus ban is something the city needs to look into.
Jan Creamer, the group's chief executive, presented a report based on scientific findings showing that animal abuse in the circus stems from the stress of travel.
"It's the circus culture and the day-to-day travel," Creamer said.
According to the group, traveling circuses require animals to be penned up in small spaces, and trainers rely on force to move the animals and control them with whips, sticks and metal bars when moving from place to place.
"CSI: Las Vegas" actress Jorja Fox, an animal rights activist who attended the group's presentation, said circus trainers may do the very best they can to protect the animals, but the nature of a traveling circus creates antagonistic behavior toward animals.
"The last thing we need to see is them acquisitioned and confined," Fox said. "I don't think it's rocket science."
Creamer said circuses should be completely banned because it is difficult to enforce laws and monitor animal living conditions of traveling circuses.
Singapore, Costa Rica and several cities in Europe have already banned traveling circuses. In the United Kingdom, more than 200 cities have banned circuses.
Tim Phillips, the group's campaign director, said no other working animals face as much confinement and social deprivation as circus animals.
"It is possible to sustain the lives of animals in abject misery," Phillips said, saying it is the living conditions and not the number of animal deaths that show inhumane treatment.
Creamer said a ban on animal circuses in the U.S. would be felt across the world because many countries currently buy circus animals from the U.S.
"I think that what happens in the U.S. will reverberate around the world," Creamer said. "The U.S. is key in the circus industry internationally."
Since the group began campaigning in Latin America, there has been an increase in animal circus bans.
Bruce Read, vice president of Animal Stewardship with the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey, said in a statement on the circus' Web site that circus staff members are committed to the humane treatment of animals.
"Our expert staff at the center is dedicated to the conservation and breeding of [elephants]," Read said. "Since the early 1990s, Ringling Bros. commitment to the endagered Asian elephant has resulted in 20 births with more on the way."
Be the first to comment on this article!