CIRCUS ANIMAL ABUSE BY: MEGHAN BIRCHFIELD

CIRCUS ANIMALS ARE ABUSED  Ringling Brothers are the most known circus group and is a major offender for animal abuse  11 elephants have died since 1992  Captive Elephant Accident Prevention Act  Witnesses and former employees are standing up against the Ringling Brothers  Acknowledged on a state and national levels by congress

NO MORE ANIMAL ACTS?  Mexico has recently banned the utilization of wild animals in circus performances  Approximately 30 nations currently have or are in the process of passing a similar ban  US has increasingly considered following the same ban  Governement mandated officials have been sent to inspect the environment in which the animals are kept  Yet there is still controversy over how unhealthy and inhumane the living conditions are

RINGLING BROTHERS TO STOP USING ELEPHANTS IN TRAVELING SHOWS  Three year program (by 2018): to stop using elephants in the Ringling Brothers performances  13 current Asian elephants travel for shows  40 former Ringling Brothers elephants already located in the Center for Elephant Conservation in Florida  Went into effect after activists protested performances across the country

ANIMALS AND THE CONCEPT OF DIGNITY: CRITICAL REFLECTION ON A CIRCUS PERFORMANCE  In Moscow, Cataldi reviewed her thoughts on the circus performance she witnessed and analyzed the conditions in which the wild animals were kept and how they were treated  Degrading to watch “teddy bears” be abused in such a manipulative manor  “Momma Bear”

DISCUSSION QUESTION:  Should wild animals continue to be used during circus performances?