CIRCUSES may seem like good family fun, but just below the surface is a cruel reality. Wild animals in circuses are routinely beaten and tortured to perform unnatural tricks for an unsuspecting viewing public: tigers are forced to jump through flaming hoops, elephants to balance themselves on small balls, and bears to ride tricycles, just for our amusement.
After a show, elephants are chained inside semi-trailers and big cats in small cages with barely enough room to stand or turn around. These trucks rarely have heat or air conditioning and are often deprived of food and water for extended periods during travel and training.
Governments are taking action against circus cruelty.
As people become increasingly aware of circus cruelty, city, state and national governments are taking action.
Recent U.S. bans
- October, 2017: New York bans wild animal performances
- August, 2017: Illinois bans wild animal performances
- August, 2016: California bans use of bullhooks
- July, 2016: Rhode Island bans use of bullhooks
Recent European bans
Recent Latin American bans
- 2015,Mexico
If your child knew the truth, they wouldn't want to go.
A Lifetime of abuse
What does it take to take the wild out of wild animals? Animals are regularly beaten and terrorized to force them to perform unnatural tricks on cue for an unsuspecting viewing public.
You'll never see an elephant handler without a bullhook, a metal club with a sharp metal hook used to beat, hit, and poke the animals, especially when they are young, to break them and to make sure that they perform as required. Hours and hours of video document how elephants are taught to live in constant fear of the bullhook; the same bullhook elephant handlers carry during performances swinging back and forth nonchalantly. More
The Jordan World Circus
The animal welfare community agrees all wild animal circuses are inherently cruel, but The Jordan World Circus earns its own distinction of circus cruelty. PETA recently listed the Jordan World Circus #8 on a list of the worst circuses, and many incidents of abuse at its circuses have been caught on camera.
While the Jordan World Circus no longer owns its own animals in order to evade accountability (see “USDA Citations” below), it rents their animals from other companies and circuses (many of which have also been the subject of undercover investigations and filming. More
Join us!
For the eleventh year in a row, the Animal Defenders of Yuma will be going to the circus to help bring awareness to the community of the endless abuse animals suffer in the circus. We urge you to join us.
One hour of your time could change minds! We will be meeting on Friday, November 10th at 6:30 PM in the vacant lot on the southwest corner of Avenue 2 1/2 E and Palo Verde, just outside of the Yuma County Fairgrounds. Demonstration signs will be provided. Across the country, the tide continues to turn against circus cruelty. 2017 has brought yet more victories on top of 2015 and 2016’s historic gains. Here are only a few. More