New Regulations - Old Fashioned Circuses

By Bill McDonald, WHS CEO

In 2010 the Province of Manitoba amended the Animal Care Act to update our regulations concerning not only companion animals and farm animals but also wild animals that are being used for entertainment in traveling circuses. A new Schedule C, “Standards Relating to Keeping, Using, Handling and Displaying Animals In The Course of Operating, Working In or Participating in a Circus” are now in force. I recently sent a copy of this new regulation to the three circuses that are currently scheduled to appear in Manitoba this coming summer. The new regulations concern such things as: the recapture plans in the event of an escaped animal, the secure and safe transportation of animals and also includes the supervision of animals in contact with the public. The Winnipeg Humane Society has been advocating for new regulations for many years and these new regulations are a huge step forward concerning the welfare of wild animals used in entertainment.

Our concerns about the welfare of these wild animals has been based not only on their treatment while traveling and performing but also prior to becoming ‘show animals’. Not surprisingly, it is extremely difficult to train a wild animal to perform in a circus. In order to get an animal to execute unnatural, repetitious, and uncomfortable acts, the animal must be ‘broken’ and turned away from their natural, instinctual lifestyle. To accomplish this, trainers rely on painful training methods such as beatings, shock devices, long-term confinement, the surgical removal of teeth or claws, or even breaking bones or burning noses (which are both common practices used to get bears to stand on their hind legs).

Unfortunately, wild animal acts are often featured and highly promoted for many of the circuses that regularly travel through Manitoba and across Canada.

Although the circuses are presenting many non-animal acts that seem exciting enough— such as clowns, jugglers, aerialists and acrobats — they are still putting animal acts at the forefront, believing people will not be satisfied without them. Unfortunately, this seems to be the belief held by most circus groups, when it simply isn’t the case. I would argue that the huge support shown for the non-animal Cirque Du Soleil is because they do such a wonderful job entertaining without animals.

Perhaps what confuses me the most is when defenders of the circus come forth with declarations that we have to have some animals for the kids. The archaic idea of animals ‘belonging’ in the circus is extremely outdated; it is truly surprising that circuses are still using this as a defence. Not too long ago, animals used to be considered nothing more than objects, and most people believed they could not feel anything, including physical pain. Much of our society has since educated itself and has moved away from horrific practices such as research on living creatures and the abuses and mistreatments of companion animals (although animal welfare groups still struggle with the latter on a daily basis).Why then, have we not yet moved away from the use of animals in the circus?

What is also frightening is that some people think it is good for children to watch majestic, beautiful, wild animals, suffer through a life in the circus. Some psychologists warn that watching animals being hit, prodded, injured or humiliated may desensitize children to the suffering of others. It is wrong—in fact inhumane—to be exposing our youth to terrible acts of animal cruelty and humiliation.

Sweden, Austria, Costa Rica, India, Finland and Singapore have all banned or restricted the use of animals in entertainment. Some US counties have also banned animal acts or certain methods of training a wild animal to perform. Instead of lagging behind and living in the past, Canada needs to step up and move to the forefront of the animal-free circus movement.

In 2009 The Winnipeg Humane Society applauded the Garden Brothers Circus, a successful, Canadian-based group, for their first ever animal free show in Manitoba. I implore all circuses to follow suit, and remove exotic and wild animals from their performances, while paving the way for a more humane and animal abuse-free future.