Life under the big top might seem fun and exciting, but a recent report commissioned by the Welsh Government shows that circus animals don’t lead a “life worth living.” The report, titled “The Welfare of Wild Animals in Travelling Circuses” and conducted by Professor Steve Harris from Bristol University in the United Kingdom, consulted 658 experts and organizations from around the world. These experts included 138 circus trainers, 206 lawyers and veterinarians, 107 NGO employees, 144 animal scientists, and 58 zoo and government officials. The report found that most of the 12 welfare criteria used in the European Welfare Quality Project are compromised and minimum recommended enclosure sized for animals in circuses are just over 25 percent of the recommended size for animals in zoos. Harris says, “The available scientific evidence indicates that captive wild animals in circuses and other travelling animal shows do not achieve their optimal welfare requirements, as set out under the Animal Welfare Act of 2006, and the evidence would therefore support a ban on using wild animals in travelling circuses and mobile zoos on animal welfare grounds.” Trainers, who work with the animals on a daily basis, did not agree on several issues. They don’t believe that the training is stressful for animals and the animals are quite comfortable in their travelling habitats. 32 nations around the world have banned animals in travelling shows. The United States is not a member of that list.
