Those were the words of one visitor to the circus in Edinburgh this week.
Zippos circus came to Edinburgh this week and as part of OneKind’s campaign against the use of animals in circuses we went along to give out leaflets and educate the public.
Circuses are no fun for animals; they are transported throughout their life cycle, routinely travelling for seven hours or more, often covering thousands of miles a year, regardless of age, condition or reproductive status. They live in temporary facilities for most of the year and may remain tethered for long periods of time. It has also been reported that performance is potentially one of the most stressful situations experienced by a circus animal.
While most people now accept that there is no place for wild animals in circuses, the lives of domesticated animals such as horses and dogs in circuses are also of poor quality. During performance, horses may wear tight bridles to keep their heads down towards their chests and are made to stand on their hind legs and turn round several times on the spot. They may develop arthritis and joint pain caused by the repeated performance of unnatural behaviour.
Circuses can be exciting entertainment and fun places for all the family. But in doing so there is no need to use animals to entertain. That is why those words “animals are banned in Circuses aren't they?” are so telling. Here was someone thinking that the circus had no animals and yet was still buying tickets to take children to see the show and performance.
Many local authorities in the UK have already made the decision not to let their land to circuses with wild animals and a number will not accept domesticated animals either. Circuses in England will be prohibited from using wild animals in their shows from December 2015. The Scottish Government are considering whether to extend such legislation to Scotland.
Whether it’s through legislation or consumer pressure OneKind wish to see the end of all animals in circuses.
Let’s hope for the welfare of animals in the UK that in the not too distant future that dream might become a reality