Sandy Supposes....

Elephants..You've Earned Your Retirement

PROMPT: On Sunday, the circus elephants of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus will perform in NYC for the last time. Should events like the circus, which use trained animals in some acts, be considered cruelty to animals? What about other forms of entertainment that may feature live animals?

          Basically, I think any wild animal kept in captivity is being mistreated to a certain extent. The mere act of caging them is unnatural. They are not free to roam, hunt or forage, or mingle with other wildlife. Circus animals are subjected to the discomforts of travel. They are barraged with noises, strange people, and new surroundings on a continual basis. Is force used to train them? Is the threat of pain a motivator? Are the 'acts' demeaning and stressful? The possibility of mistreatment is very real, if not neglect.

         The marine life shows featuring killer whales, dolphins, and walruses also corral/cage/imprison these animals. The pools and water tanks they are kept in are far too small for such large beasts who normally traverse oceans. They must miss the stimulation that being in their natural habitat provides.