1. What is the history of circus animals?
The first use of animals in a circus began in ancient Rome, in which the Colosseum was mainly used as a place where gladiators fought predators such as lions and tigers. As these games changed and evolved, modern circus animals were created. The founder of the modern circus was Philip Astley. Philip Asley performed on horseback, which became popular. Since then, performances using animals in the circus have spread all over the world (Rendell, 2020).
2. What kind of pain do circus animals get from humans?
Most circus animals are whipped to train them to behave and perform, and they are abused without proper nutrition. The circus also travels around the world to perform. At this time, the animals must stay trapped for a long time in small spaces (Murray, 2007). If this condition persists, animals lose their natural instincts and become stressed, resulting in abnormal psychological and physical reactions, such as repetitive behavior and depression.
3. What are some incidents involving circus animals?
There was an incident in which a Russian bear, a circus animal, attacked a trainer due to extreme stress. However, people didn’t care why the bear attacked the trainer. They were only worried about the fact that a bear attacked a human, and they criticized the circus for not having a fence installed (Higgins, 2019). In addition, circus animal accidents, such as those involving reindeer and lions, continued to occur in Russia. The reason for these accidents is that circus animals were under stress, and some say it is a way for animals to express their anger at stress.
4. Why should circus animals disappear?
Circus animals, so far, are considered tools that provide human enjoyment. But animals have their rights, and circus animals should disappear. This is because humans should not infringe on this right for pleasure. At the moment, circus animals are now being banned by law, and their numbers are decreasing. However, if a few people run an animal circus, it will have a higher scarcity value because it is an interesting event for some people. If the scarcity value is higher, circus animals will not disappear from the world. That’s why circus animals have to disappear completely from the world.
5. Conclusion
Beginning with the ancient Roman period, the change produced modern circus performances and spread throughout the world. The rights of circus animals are ignored and infringed upon, and circus animals are being used as a tool for human enjoyment. In this process, animals were abused and stressed, leading to incidents of them attacking humans. That is why we must prohibit the use of animals in circuses for animal rights and continue to address the problems related to circus animals for them in the future.
6. References
– Rendell, M. (2020). Who Was Philip Astley? The Father of the Modern British Circus. [online] History Hit. Available at: https://www.historyhit.com/who-was-philip-astley-the-father-of-the-modern-british-circus/ [Accessed 13 August 2022].
– Murray, L. (2007). Circuses Are No Fun for Animals. [online] Saving Earth | Encyclopedia Britannica. Available at: https://www.britannica.com/explore/savingearth/circuses-are-no-fun-for-animals-2 [Accessed 13 August 2022].
– Higgins, A. (2019). Russian Circus Bear Mauls Its Handler, Terrifying Crowd Just Yards Away. The New York Times. [online] 24 Oct. Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/24/world/europe/russia-bear-circus.html [Accessed 13 August 2022].
