09/25/01 Ban the Use of Animals in Circuses
Protest against the arrival of the Medrano Circus in Zagreb
Today, September 25, 2001, Animal Friends will organize a peaceful demonstration in front of the Medrano Circus at the Zagreb Fair, to protest against the unnecessary abuse of animals in circuses for people's entertainment.
Below you will find a paragraph from a flyer that will be handed out during the demonstration:
CRUELTY IS NOT ENTERTAINMENT
Did you ever wonder how it is possible to "teach" a lion or tiger - who normally roam freely through the jungle - to sit peacefully on a chair and jump through a ring of fire? Or why bears balance on a rope high above the ground? Or how they are able to get horses to walk on their back legs? How can you make animals behave in a way that is completely unnatural to them? How can you "explain" to a wild animal, who is not able to understand our language, you want her to sit like a human? For those who take a closer look at the lives of animals in circuses, the answer is very simple: through terror, torture and cruel abuse.
Animals in circuses are suffering. Their entire life, they are subjected to aggressive training, grueling transport in tiny cages and exhausting performances which they don't want to do. They travel from town to town and are confined to cages until they become insane or ill.
This is happening in the name of "entertainment," to make people laugh when the animals suffer. We should never forget that animals don't join circuses voluntarily and that circuses are much more fun without animal acts.
Does anybody want to support this cruelty? Do animals have to endure this daily torture?
As a result of ongoing campaigns and education of the people, circuses with animal acts are banned all over the world.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
- Do not support cruelty to animals. Don't visit the Medrano Circus that is currently in Zagreb or any other circus with animal acts in their program.
- Maybe you have already visited the circus, but you were not aware of this cruelty. Please don't visit a circus with animal acts again.
- Explain to your children that circuses aren't fun to the animals who are tortured and forced to "perform," and don't take them to the show. Instead, use this opportunity to teach them not to be cruel to the animals
- Please tell your friends, relatives, neighbors and colleagues about the cruelty to animals in circuses, so they too will be convinced and will only support animal-free circuses.