ANIMALS IN CIRCUSES

In Asia, circuses commonly feature animals such as macaques, bears, tigers, snakes, macaws, elephants, chimpanzees, walruses, dolphins, sea lions, beluga whales, and orcas.

Investigations by Animals Asia revealed that in Vietnam, endangered and legally protected species are being used in circus performances illegally. Many animals may also be captured from the wild, and ripped from their families and their homes to be used as circus performers.

Mistreatment of circus animals

Circus animals are forced through fear and intimidation to perform. Elephants are forced to stand on their heads, bears and macaques ride bicycles, walruses perform sit-ups, and whales and dolphins carry circus performers around a pool and throw them up into the air. All of these are highly unnatural behaviours that individual animals would not choose to perform if they were given free choice.

Animals often endure physical abuse in circuses, being struck with whips, metal bars, and bullhooks. Wild animals such as tigers and lions are sometimes painfully de-toothed and declawed to render them less dangerous to circus performers.

Frequently, these animals are kept in cramped, barren enclosures for the majority of their lives, released from their confinement only to perform or for frequently brutal training sessions. This can cause extreme stress and lead to abnormal behaviours, including self-harm and repetitive behaviours known as stereotypies, indicative of severe mental suffering.

Many young animals also suffer greatly from being stolen from their parents at an early age to be used in shows and performances.

Since our 2017 Vietnam circus report, a number of circuses have transitioned away from using wild animals, in response to the change in public opinion.16 circus shows have stopped using all animals and 7 circus shows ended the use of some species in recent years.

Former circus bear Little Mac's story - Hanoi Circus rescue