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Abolishing the Status of Animals as Property |
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► Animals in Entertainment |
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10-Oct-07 |
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At first glance, the circus environment might appear to be fun and exciting for an animal. Upon closer inspection, one realizes the harsh training methods that circus animals endure and the despicable conditions in which they are forced to live everyday of their lives. Physical Abuse - Regardless of whether these animals are stolen from the wild or born in captivity, they are wild and exotic animals that need severe training to learn how to perform unnatural “tricks”. Training methods involve muzzles, bull hooks, whips, chains and are only successful when the animals spirit is broken. Confinement - Circus animals are forced to travel and perform 50 weeks out of every year. They travel in undersized, barren cages with floors encrusted with feces and urine; they are often fed poor quality feed; provided with little or inadequate veterinary care; and observed exhibiting bizarre, often self-destructive, behaviors. The barest of essentials are often not provided for these animals. Please check out www.circuses.com for more information on charges laid against various animal circuses. . |
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False Education - The circus is rationalized in many minds by citing the educational value for the children. Perhaps this is the only or first time a child will ever see an elephant, tiger, lion or kangaroo. However, seeing a misrepresentation of animal behavior does not in any way benefit the inquisitive and caring child. The benefits that a child receives from watching a half hour animal act does not outweigh the harm of diminishing the quality of life for a wild and exotic animal. Children who attend the circus are seeing unnatural behaviors exhibited by animals in artificial environments under constant stress. They are learning that it is acceptable to demean animals and laugh at their antics. They are learning nothing about their natural environment, conservation, or of the true dangers these animals pose to public safety. Threat to Public Safety - Since 1990, 50 people (children and adults) have been killed by rampaging, captive elephants, 70 big cats have been killed for “control” reasons, and there have been 46 human deaths and 150 human injuries from big cat attacks. There is very little protection to the circus spectator if a big cat or elephant were to “get out of control”. NS Municipal Bylaws - It is because of the threat to public safety, horrible living conditions and cruel training methods of animals, and the lack of educational value that many municipalities have banned wild and exotic animal acts, entirely. IN N.S. for example, Argyle, Bridgewater, Digby, Shelburne and Yarmouth have all enacted bylaws banning the use of wild and exotic animal acts. NS Standards - In 1999, provincial standards for exhibiting circus animals in Nova Scotia were adopted. These are the first and only such standards in Canada. Circuses may not hold primate, bear, piniped, cetacean, amphibian or fish species, and must adhere to specified standards for other species. These standards, however, are rarely enforced and still do not solve the basic problem of confining animals and forcing them to perform against their will. ASAP, with the support of the Nova Scotia Humane Society, is pushing for the Provincial Government to enact a province-wide ban on circuses with wild or exotic animals, the first in Canada. We are currently circulating a petition to submit to the Provincial government. If you would like to add your voice in support of a Provincial ban on wild and exotic animal acts, please contact ASAP, your local MLA, or Minister of the Department of Natural Resources, Brooke Taylor. |
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In October 2006, the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) brought a two day rodeo event to Exhibition Park, in Halifax, Nova Scotia. This marked the first time an event of this kind had ever been held in Halifax. The purpose of the event was for cowboys to try to remain on the backs of frightened, stressed and goaded bucking bulls for up to 8 seconds. But what some see as an amusing show is no more then animal abuse for the sake of human entertainment. Tools and Methods Used to Irritate, Distress and/or Inflict Pain The Flank Strap - This is a strap that goes around the flank, which is the fleshed area (I.e. the tender area with no boney protection) between the bulls last ribs and hip. The flank strap is pulled extremely tight by a rodeo hand standing above the chute just as the bull exits. The result is that the bull is so distressed and discomforted by the strap that he bucks to get the strap and rider off. |
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The Electric Prod - Bull riders claim that electric prods are used only to move animals into the chutes if at all and are never used to chock the animals into performing. However, observers at the Exhibition Park Rodeo as well as other areas, witnessed many bulls receiving a jab with the electric prod as they left the chute. Such a prod delivers 5000—6000 volts of electricity, each time. Picture: Scarring shown on the side of a bull from the flank strap and spurs of the cowboy. |
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Tail Twisting - During the Halifax performance, bulls’ tails were twisted in the chute before the animals were released in the arena with the rider on their backs. The tail is an extension of the vertebral chord in bulls, and is therefore a quite sensitive part of the animal. Spurs - PBR says, “The spurs help a rider maintain his balance by giving him added grip with his feet. The spurs do not cut or scratch a bull’s hide, which is seven times thicker than a human’s skin.” Cattle can feel flies land on them, so thickness of skin certainly does not denote non-sensitivity. The pain caused by the metal spurs landing on the shoulders and belly of the bull cannot be avoided and bruising will result. The quick, jolting and irregular movements of the bucking animal leave little opportunity for the rider to control the use of the spurs. As part of the scoring system, the rider gets points for a good raking with his feet/spurs. The rider’s goal is to kick continually the animal with the spurs. Animal Injuries and Deaths - Rodeo defenders boast about the dangerousness of their “sport” by emphasizing the bull rider’s risk of broken bones and other injuries. They attend rodeos with casts and neck collars. But, the cowboys, who choose to be there, are not the only ones who are injured. Indeed, the tools and methods cause the bulls to buck more violently and higher than they naturally would and many more times in a row. This renders them very susceptible to injuries. Bulls have been noticed to lose their balance, twisting, tripping and even falling down. It is also worth noting that once the rider fell off, any bull that tried to “fight back” was tormented by people dressed as clowns, and chased and roped by a man on horseback. FIGHT BACK! ASAP held lengthy protests at the October 6 and 7th 2006 Rodeo, as well as the October 4 & 5th 2007 Rodeo, with the message that this kind of entertainment is nothing but animal abuse. Television (CTV) and newspapers (Daily News and Chronicle Herald) reported our concerns. If you would like to sign our petition demanding a complete ban of rodeo events in HRM, please email us. |
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Animals in Captivity - No Freedom, No Choice Wild animals in zoos are held in artificial environments with little stimulation, enrichment and opportunity to hide from the public gaze. Often, they develop unnatural behavioral patterns as a way of trying to ‘cope’ with their enforced ‘lack of purpose’. Even in the so-called better zoos, abnormal behavior can be widespread, and may include repeated pacing, rocking, vomiting, constant swaying, bobbing, weaving or pacing up and down, and even self-mutilation. These obsessive, repetitive behaviors can be caused by: removal from natural habitat; inability to adequately perform natural behaviors; enforced idleness, boredom and frustration; direct control by humans, loss of personal control; loss of life in normal social group or solitary status; drugs and medical fertility control; caging in a totally alien environment; artificial infrastructure, lighting, predictable diet, unusual noises and colors and unnatural proximity of other animals and human visitors. In September 2002, Oxford scientists claimed hat they had managed to establish a link between stereotypic behavior and stresses incurred by an animal, IN a study using captive bank voles, the scientists discovered that the confines of captivity induced changes in a region of the brain (basal ganglia) known to be responsible for organizing and sequencing behavior (Mason et all, 2002), and consequently may have profound effects on how the brain functions. Relative to the space afforded to these animals in the wild, zoo environments are pitiful. For example, a tiger’s range in the wild is anywhere from 8—400 square miles, depending on the plentitude of food. At the San Diego Zoo, 4000 animals share 0.156 square miles—including the tigers! In addition to their small living space, zoo animals are on nearly constant public display, and their schedules are completely controlled by humans. They are essentially prisoners with well decorated cells. |
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Calling it ‘Education’ or even ‘Conservation’ will not save life on Earth! Conservation as well as education and being “ambassadors” are used to justify confinement and exploitation of wild animals, while dismissing the physical suffering and psychological problems resulting. Most of these animals cold never be released into the wild. Can the reintroduction into the wild of a handful of captive-bred species justify the lifelong incarceration of millions of wild animals in thousands of zoos? The concept of zoos has reached an evolutionary dead-end: millions of captive animals in inadequate, unnatural conditions, many suiffering or displaying abnormal behaviors, few endangered species and even fewer released to the wild. Life in the wild is complex, unpredictable and frequently dangerous, but it is there that the wild animals have evolved to meet the challenges of survival. That is where they belong. Artificial environments are no substitute. Instead a greater effort on the preservation of ecosystems is needed; wild animals must be protected in their natural habitats. The survival of all species requires us to change our behavior to minimize our impact on the environment and species survival. Taking an animal away from the wild to the ‘safety’ of a zoo is not the answer. Inspirational conservation and education can be achieved without the confinement and exploitation of animals. |
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Hunting is a violent activity where unarmed, defenseless animals are killed for recreation. Millions of birds and other animals wounded by bullets or arrows, suffer lingering pain before dying. For instance, it is estimated that 50% of animals who are shot with crossbows are wounded but not killed (1). Animals wounded by arrows often slowly bleed to death, suffering sometimes for days. Hunting also disrupts migration and hibernation patterns and destroys families. For animals like wolves, who mate for life and live in close knit family units, hunting can devastate entire communities. The stress that hunted animals suffer - caused by fear and the inescapable loud noises and other commotion that hunters create - also severely compromises their normal eating habits, making it hard for them to store the fat and energy that they need in order to survive the winter. Non “game” animals are also the victims of hunters. In order to produce as many “game” animals as possible to satisfy the hunters’ demands, entire ecosystems are being altered as predators are routinely shot and trapped in misguided efforts to increase game animal numbers. In addition, lead fro the bullets, used until recently, has caused lead pollution of wetlands, upland areas and other habitats. Large numbers of waterfowls, bald eagles and other aquatic birds have been poisoned and killed by the accumulation of lad shot in wetlands food chains. What you can do! If you enjoy the outdoors, instead of hunting, choose a peaceful wildlife activity that does not involve killing animals: bird watching, nature photography etc. Before you financially support a “wildlife” or “conservation” group, ask about its position on hunting. Groups such as the National Wildlife Federation, the National Audubon Society, the Sierra Club, the Izaak Walton League, the Wilderness Society, and the World Wildlife Find are pro-sport-hunting or, at the very least, they do not oppose it. To combat hunting in your area, post “no hunting” signs on your land, join or form anti-hunting organizations, protest against hunts, and spread deer repellent or human hair, near hunting areas. Report poachers in National Parks to the National Parks and Conservation Society. Educate others about hunting. References: (1) Stephen S. Ditchkoff et all., “Wounding Rates of White-Tail Deer with Traditional Archery Equipment,” Proceedings of the Annual Conference of the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (1998.) |
