Animal Abuse Can Never Be Justified Although zoos, aquariums, circuses, and other forms of live animal performances and captive facilities seem innocent, enjoyable, and fun, behind the scenes the animals that inhabit these facilities and are subjected to performances for entertainment are often exposed to both physical and verbal abuse, in turn degrading the places in which it occurs. Captive facilities have been around for a very long time. Incorporating a variety of animals into live shows and performances has also existed for quite some time. Captive facilities were designed in order to allow visitors to enjoy the company of many different types of animals they would not normally see on any other given day. Captive facilities overall …show more content…
The negative training techniques and abuse these animals are usually put through include but are not limited to bull hooks and other harmful objects, being confined to small areas, being deprived of their natural habitat, negative verbal remarks, being chained up for long periods of time, being withheld of food, being forced to live with other animals, and being forced to do things they may not want to do. Zoos, aquariums, and other captive facilities as well as circuses and other forms of live performances all are guilty of negative training techniques, especially circuses. Specifically with circuses, elephants are abused and negatively trained on a daily basis, and this has been proven through many human accounts. The most famous abuses during training result from the Ringling Brothers Circus. Human accounts of such abuses involved an employee observing bloody holes in the ears of the elephants from bull hook puncture wounds, another case of a baby elephant dying due to suffering a heart attack while drowning, other cases of employees striking the elephants, and yet multiple accounts of elephants being confined to chains for long periods of time while calves are deprived of their mothers (Beverage 159, …show more content…
It is very common for captive animals to turn to their instincts and become aggressive toward humans whenever they feel threatened. This rebellious nature that occurs in some captive animals is based around miscommunications with the animal and the trainer. These miscommunications not only increase the danger for animals, but also humans, which are often harmed by the animals. Several accounts have also noted deaths of various trainers. Further dangers come in some trainers being too inexperienced to teach and deal with animals of such power. With inexperienced trainers, they can seem like weaklings to the animals which only in turn gives the animal the opportunity and the drive to take advantage of the human. It has also been noted that with captive facilities and live performances, animals are forced to coincide with other animals they are not used to. In other words, animals are mixed together with a variety of other species, which only induces conflict between the animals (Tait 70). A last endangerment that revolves around humans is the emotional harm that many people feel when seeing animals in such situations (Beverage 169). This emotional harm can cause long lasting effects on people, not just the animals involved. As a whole,
The life of a circus animal is hard and demanding. It is not an acceptable way of life for an animal. Circuses would quickly lose their appeal if the public were more aware of their mistreatments of these animals. Many circuses do not have much money and as a result the animals suffer from inadequate care. These animals spend most of their time in small cages used for transportation. The Animal Welfare Act provides cage requirements, but many circuses fail to follow this law. Even the Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey circus was cited for 65 violations over a two-year period according to Florence Lambert. When traveling, animals spend hours, even days between sites in confinement..
When bred in captivity, animals are oblivious to their natural habitats and how to socially interact with their species. The article “Animals Used as Entertainment” lists rodeos, circuses, bullfighting, horse racing, cockfighting, dog fighting, and zoos as examples of the many ways animals are used in entertainment. Circuses and zoos are the two most relevant forms of animal mistreatment. Both of these are sources of entertainment for children and adults. Zoos declare that they are used for mostly educational purposes and preserving various species, but the reality is that they fall short on both (“Animals Used”).
This essay proposes to investigate the ethics of training, and subsequently utilising, circus animals for the purpose of human entertainment. Therefore, the essay will respond to the question “what moral or ethical obligations do humans have in respect of other animals? How can these obligations be filled?” It should be noted that a distinction is made between morals, which are personal standards of behaviour – and ethics – which are moral principles that govern societal behaviour. This essay will focus on ethical obligations. Specifically, the treatment and training methods of circus animals will be researched to ascertain what, if any, physical or psychological discomfort results for the animals. More precisely, investigations will be undertaken to gauge circus animals’ quality of life, and thus arguments that circus animals both enjoy and loathe this treatment will be explored. Additionally, specific cases of cruelty to circus animals, together with various legislation that either allows or prohibits such behaviours, will be examined.
And this isn’t the only time a captive animal has turned on its trainer. Working with a predator that kills even when it’s not hunting is taking a risk lions can be trained but they cannot be tamed. in 2010 two lions turned on their trainer Oleksie Pinko during a show in the Ukraine, Pinko walked away with only minor injuries. No matter how long you work with exotic animals they will always be unpredictable and dangerous, Roy Horn of the Siegfried and Roy duo worked with tigers for most of his life, but however in 2003 Roy was attacked by a seven year old white tiger named Montecore. In 2008, a liger at Safari's Animal Sanctuary in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma killed a volunteer, thirty-two year old Peter Getz.
Since the beginning of the modern day circus in the early 20th century millions of Americans have enjoyed the performances by both the people and the animals that perform for our entertainment. However, the audience is blinded by shock and awe of the show from what really happens behind the curtain. Animal cruelty, poor living conditions, and lack of legal regulation scars the animals and becomes very dangerous to the overall health of the animals and those who are around them. The mistreatment of animals in circuses has been occurring for far too long, and new laws need to be implemented in an effort to prevent future acts of cruelty toward these animals.
Every time we take the children to see animal performances, we are teaching them that cruelty is fun and that animals do not deserve respect. All those ridiculous acts that animals are forced to do, are causing them stress and fear. It is unfair, that while the animals are being treated like things, the public from their seats, applauds and even laughs. Animals are forced to travel in wagons for a long time. These wagons are narrow, unhealthy and have little ventilation.
They are injured with bullhooks, and separated forcefully from their parents at a young age. In the article, “Circus Animals are Abused” Marianne Merritt addresses the issue of animal cruelty in the circus. She states that animals suffer in horrible conditions. “Elephants are kept in chains up to 95% of the time and exotic cats and other animals are housed in cages where they are barely given room to stand up” (Merritt). Ultimately, what Merritt is trying to convey through her article is that animals are treated brutally and inhumanely in the entertainment industry.
Should animals be kept in captivity After doing more research I figure out that more than sixty-six percent of people say that zoos should not keep animals in captivity. In fact most zoos do not take very good care of most of there animals and most animals get stressed for staying in there cages most of the day. What zoos are doing is by bringing people and animals together, zoos educate the public and foster an appreciation of the animals. This exposure and education motivates people to protect the animals and make them believe that these animals should be kept in captivity.
Whether it's for experimentation, research, or amusement, throughout the years there have been many reasons to keep animals captive. Zoos take animals captive in order to conserve endangered species but research has revealed that many of the animals confined in zoos are not threatened species. Most of the species in zoos are, as a matter of fact, marketable and familiar animals rather than endangered species (Keulartz, 340). Jeopardized species or not, animal captivity has had many negative effects on the captive animals such as their physiological behavior. On the other hand, zoos retain animals in cramped living conditions and are mostly maintained for human amusement.
Zoos allow people to learn information on different types of animals, yet the animals are placed in a negative environment for the purpose of entertainment. There are clear dismal differences in an animal living in their natural habitat versus an animal kept in an enclosure. Putting animals in these uncomfortable environments takes away the meaning of what a wild animal truly is. These issues will proceed to effect the animals as long as they're used for entertainment
Animal abuse is a travesty in our world that must be stopped. Every year, millions of animals suffer because of human actions, directly or indirectly. Whether it’s abused dogs and cats or even mistreated circus animals, their suffering is as real as it would be if it happened to us. Even animals who are raised on farms simply for human consumption should not have to suffer. One of the worst parts of humanity’s role in animal abuse is that there are easy ways for people to help that they are either ignorant of or simply refuse to do. There are many examples of animals who are abused by humans, but there are also ways for people to help prevent and put an end to animal abuse.
In zoos and aquariums animals may look and seem happy, but when everyone leaves they resume their terrible life. We shut close down zoos and aquariums because keeping animals in captivity is abuse. Zoos and aquariums are not the animals natural habitat, and animals could easily overpower humans anytime. When zoos and aquariums put animals in captivity it’s not their natural habitat, and can change their whole lifestyle. When watching a mother love and care for her child is adorable, bu tits not adorable when she doesn't care for her child.
Animal rights imply that animals have a right to their own life just as we do; that they are not ours to mess around with. To an extremist this argument also means we must maintain a vegetarian diet, not wearing leather or fur, and not keeping animals as pets. A moderate animal protection says that our responsibility toward animals is that we have a moral obligation not to cause them unnecessary pain.
All over the world, several animals are being held captive. Some may be under no free will and others under personal care. A few creatures that live in zoos, aquariums, and even sanctuaries are being deprived of the life they deserve “Roaming Free and in the Wild” (Kratt Brothers). Their living space conditions are horrible whether they’d be a land or water mammal. Families all over the world flock to zoos and aquariums to have an entertaining day and hopes of getting their children educated on the wonders of the world.
Every year approximately 175 million people go to aquariums, and zoos to spectate and ponder at the vast number of wildlife from every corner of the world (“Static Brain,” n.p.). Little do visitors know that they are witnessing firsthand the imprisonment and inhumane treatment of innocent animals. Wildlife should not be kept captive where they are exposed to overwhelming isolation, a shortened life span and in the rare occasion when they are released back into the wild deprived of natural instincts to help them survive. Similar to humans , animals are living creatures who require interaction with their own kind, although when they are kept in captivity these animals are frequently exposed to isolation.