Are animal attractions (circuses, zoos, aquariums, etc.) no longer considered politically correct?

Forums: News, Animal Rights, Current Events, Business, Society
Email this Topic • Print this Page

Hi. I am just a bit curious about this. PETA and other animal rights groups have been cracking down on animal attractions - circuses, zoos, aquariums, etc.- and have gotten some of the facilities that put animals on display shut down or have gotten some facilities to get rid of some animal acts because they've discovered that employees were mistreating and abusing animals.

PETA and other animal rights groups managed to get Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus shut down after learning circus employees were doing this to their animals, and they managed to get Sea World to drop their killer whale acts from their shows.

Here are some links of interest:
https://www.peta.org/features/ringling/
https://www.peta.org/blog/one-year-anniversary-victories-since-ringling-last-show/
https://support.peta.org/page/1943/action/1?locale=en-US
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2017/01/seaworld-final-orca-show-california-killer-whales/
https://www.mspca.org/animal_protection/circus-animal-welfare/
https://www.peta.org/blog/circus-pages-shuts-down/
https://www.peta.org/features/universoul-circus-torture-for-hire/

There's lots of animal rights groups:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_animal_rights_groups

I know PETA and other groups want to get animal attractions shut down, or at least, get restrictions or bans passed on the use of wild animals for entertainment.

But are animal attractions in general no longer considered politically correct? If so, when did this happen, and when did the animal rights groups get so powerful?

I am curious - please help. Thank you.

Topic Stats
Top Replies
Link to this Topic

Type: Discussion • Score: 6 • Views: 5,945 • Replies: 93

No top replies

Not every country has banned them, but many are moving in that direction. In the UK I first became away of anti circus animal posters in the 80s. Then certain local councils would ban performing animals but others would allow it. Then about the mid 90s it seemed to stop.

Not all performing animals are banned, it depends on the animal. I took my lad to the circus a few years ago and there was a performing dog, and at zoos I still see performing sealions.

I think the main difference is these animals like to perform, whips aren't used, just lots of treats. It's not many animals though, most of them are domesticated.

They still have traditional circuses in Italy.

Quote:

Four tigers have mauled their trainer to death during a rehearsal at a circus in southern Italy.

One tiger set upon Ettore Weber, 61, on Thursday evening in Triggiano, near Bari, before the other three joined in.

They then played with his body in their cage until paramedics and circus staff intervened, local media report. He later died from his injuries.

Mr Weber, who worked with the Orfei Circus, is said to be one of Italy's best known circus trainers.

He had been training the tigers at about 19:00 local time (17:00 GMT) for a show called Animal Park, which was based on travelling around the world and seeing different animals.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-48886443

0 Replies

@JGoldman10,

Yes for the most part. Having a close friend in which her job is to promote the safety, rescue and general well being of marine life and having a daughter wanting to work in the field of wildlife biology - I get an earful. Not bad in any way and not forced in a sense - just that I get some information from that aspect and an explanation of why "zoos are bad." for example.

In any case as far as all of these - there are "good" and "bad" ones. Aquariums for example that have animals performing - like killer whales and dolphins (which is kind of redundant as killer whales are a type of dolphin and not a whale at all) and not to mention pretty much any creature they have performing at an aquarium - it is actually very stressful for the creature and their life span is significantly less as a result than in the wild - add to that killer whales need much more space than even the largest tanks due to they way the migrate.

However, some aquariums are better - they do not have creatures perform, they do not keep in captivity any in which it is not good for their health. Many also help promote those creatures that are endangered by educating the public and also having breeding programs.

Same with zoos - if you have very natural habitats, educate the public and provide awareness of taking away their natural environments and promoting breeding for those that are endangered - in my friend's opinion these zoos and aquariums although not ideal for the creatures living there - help the greater populations of animals.

Most circuses are doing away with animal performances besides domestic animals. Again many of these performances are stressful for certain animals and harmful for them - think about an elephant and how heavy one is - to force him to stand and balance on one leg puts huge stress on that leg - it is not natural and is harmful and stressful for the creature.

So most circuses now are not politically incorrect as most do not have wild animals performing - only domestic ones - good ones only have them perform in positive ways - like was stated above - no whips and punishments only rewards.

And peta tends to be on the extreme side - rather than a more balanced approach.

2 Replies

Our aquariums do not hold killer whales, and I've not seen a dolphin show since I was a kid. That particular attraction closed in 1984.

Quote:

US theme park SeaWorld's decision to end its controversial orca breeding campaign has been welcomed by many. However, in the UK, shows featuring captive dolphins stopped more than 25 years ago.

They were once a common sight at tourist attractions from Brighton to Morecambe, but by the early 1990s the UK's dolphinariums were a thing of the past.

Following an animal rights campaign called "Into the Blue" which attracted widespread popular support, the government made standards of care so stringent no dolphinarium in the country could afford to meet them.

Perhaps strangely, it is not illegal to keep dolphins in the UK, but the country is still regarded as a "shining example in the anti-captivity world," says Margaux Dodds, director of the Marine Connection charity and one of the successful campaigners in the 1980s.

"We used to stand outside the parks in protest. We had dolphin suits and would hand out leaflets about how these animals would live in the wild," she says.

"Eventually our message was heard. I think that's what has happened to SeaWorld - the share prices fall, the takings fall, there are protests, and with social media added in now, the public opinion changes."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-35832175

0 Replies

@JGoldman10,

I've never thought about it on the "politically correct/incorrect" scale.

personally, I am against holding animals in captivity for the purpose of entertainment. Zoos place creatures in small enclosures, put them on display and decide when feeding will be done and what the creature will eat. Some even have performance areas where people gather and stare and scream and clap.

Circuses keep their creatures in even smaller enclosures. Cages.

The television series Lost In Space (1965-68), had an episode titled "A Day At The Zoo" in which the characters we're captured and turned into zoo exhibits. These humans were not at all happy, even though they were being fed and had a place to sleep. The episode sums up for me the way many enclosured animals might feel.

I felt uncomfortable as a child going to the zoo (although there were special food opportunities, such as ice cream).

The parts of the circus which appealed to me were when humans did stuff. Highwire, trapeze, clown cars... The animal part was often painful to watch. (Lions or tigers being whipped so they'd hop on a chair)

2 Replies

@Linkat,

Yes. I don't know too much about other animal rights groups, but PETA is extremist. I recall seeing some of their propaganda films when I was in art school.

0 Replies

@Sturgis,

Sturgis wrote:

I've never thought about it on the "politically correct/incorrect" scale.

Neither have I.
That just smacks of going along with the current popular acceptable culture.

Isn't it enough to not have living beings treated badly?

When something is wrong, it's wrong.

0 Replies

Yes, in some quarters it is considered politically incorrect, but these are people who are irrational in their professed support of "animal rights."

Take circuses out of the discussion. Unless they limit their animal acts to dogs they should have none.

The vast majority of zoos and aquariums are now primarily dedicated to the preservation of species that are or may be endangered in the wild. In order to accomplish this work, they need money and displaying their charges to paying customers who love to see animals is, IMO, an acceptable method.

Today's animal exhibitions are nothing like those of a few decades ago.

They are not the best way to preserve species, but, right now, they are the only way. For most of the individual animals (not their species) life in a zoo or aquarium is better than life in the wild. You won't find any lion cubs being killed by a new Alpha Male. You won't find many at all succumbing to diseases, and you won't find more than .001% of them being eaten by the other "inmates"

If we were to outlaw zoos and aquariums even more species would be rendered extinct. Now, is it better that they live in the wild? Yes, but the operative word is "live."

Any notion that the money spent on zoos can be converted dollar for dollar to preservation efforts in the wild is absurd.

0 Replies

@Sturgis,

Sturgis wrote:

I've never thought about it on the "politically correct/incorrect" scale.

Well, you should and you should also educate yourself more about modern zoos and aquariums.

At least 10 endangered species have been saved from extinction by zoos

https://taronga.org.au/news/2017-05-22/10-endangered-species-saved-extinction-zoos

The way that species are under stress and attack in nations without the money and resources to protect them, this number will surely increase over the next ten years.

0 Replies

This subject is a perfect example of emotion over reason.

"Oh, those poor furry creatures are being kept in cells for human pleasure!!!"

OK, what do you think is happening to them in the wild right now? King Simba is protecting them all from poachers and industrialization?

1 Reply

@Finn dAbuzz,

I wasn't impacted emotionally when I started this thread. I wanted to know why animal rights is such a big deal now. I wanted to know why, how, and when the animal rights groups got so powerful.

I think the animal rights movement is a bit ridiculous to an extent. I think a lot of activists go to ridiculous extremes.

I have no problem with animals being showcased publicly in some form or another, as long as they aren't being mistreated and abused. As long as the people caring for them are doing so properly. As long as people are doing what they can to preserve animal species.

1 Reply

@JGoldman10,

I'm sorry. I was too broad with that comment. It didn't include you.

1 Reply

@Finn dAbuzz,

No problem.

0 Replies

@Linkat,

There are various types of animal attractions, aside from circuses, zoos and aquariums.

There are animal theme parks:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal_theme_park

These include zoological theme parks, marine theme parks (marine mammal parks and oceanariums) and zoos with amusement attractions.

There are also aviaries and bird parks.

There's also safari parks.

There's also this:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Buildings_and_structures_used_to_confine_animals

for a more comprehensive list of animal attractions.

There's no argument that there isn't controversy regarding animal attractions:

https://www.smartertravel.com/problem-animal-attractions/
https://www.oyster.com/articles/8-of-the-most-controversial-animal-attractions-around-the-world/
https://www.kindtraveler.com/content/14-Animal-Attractions-to-Avoid
https://www.worldanimalprotection.us/wildlife-not-entertainers/worlds-cruelest-attractions
https://www.peta.org/issues/animals-in-entertainment/
https://wildlife-rescue.org/services/advocacy/animals-in-entertainment/
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2016/05/160519-TripAdvisor-wildlife-tourism-animal-welfare/

The reason I think animal rights is a bit ridiculous to an extent, is because God gave man dominion over animals. It is wrong to mistreat and/or abuse animals, especially if animals aren't posing immediate or potential threats to people. I think people like this should be dealt with. However, as I said, many animal rights activists have very extremist agendas, and the way they go about carrying out certain agendas is a bit ridiculous.

Human beings benefit from animals. There are billions of people who need help and a human's life is far more important than an animal's.

2 Replies

@JGoldman10,

JGoldman10 wrote:

The reason I think animal rights is a bit ridiculous to an extent, is because God gave man dominion over animals.

Opinion, not fact. Not everybody believes as you do.

0 Replies

@JGoldman10,

Quote:

God gave dominion of man over animal...

Does this apply when an animal sets a human in their sights as a meal?

Yeah, I don't believe God operates in your way. Further, since some animals survive off of other animals, it would seem you're creating something along the lines of Orwell's Animal Farm.

Apart from that, Izzy is correct. Your opinion (same as mine), is not fact.

1 Reply

In some ways I consider dogs to behave more like God... they love you unconditionally no matter what you do to them. There is a reason that God spelled backwards is god.

2 Replies

@Linkat,

Is it the same reason if you lived in Java, and their word for dog backwards is USA?

I personally like the fact that dog spelled backwards in Malta is blek.

0 Replies

It's cruel and unusual punishment to theisticise everything.

0 Replies

@Linkat,

Linkat wrote:

In some ways I consider dogs to behave more like God... they love you unconditionally no matter what you do to them. There is a reason that God spelled backwards is god.

Dog the last word should be dog.

0 Replies

Are animal attractions (circuses, zoos, aquariums, etc.) no longer considered politically correct?

Related Topics

Quick Links

My Account

able2know