Circuses facing Wild Animal Ban...

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Oscar Namechange
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Circuses facing Wild Animal Ban...

Post by Oscar Namechange »

Express.co.uk - Home of the Daily and Sunday Express | UK News :: Circuses facing wild animals ban

About time too.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them. R.L. Binyon
hoppy
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Circuses facing Wild Animal Ban...

Post by hoppy »

When I was a lil' sh!t my grandparents lived on the very southern edge of town. Behind their house was a huge open area that was once a pasture for a dairy farm. When circuses came to town, that is where they set up.

My cousins and I would stand glued to the backyard gate watching the animals being unloaded, tents being set up and other activities. My gramps, having been a teamster in younger days, couldn't control himself. He would go over and lend a hand with the horses and anything else he could. In return, we got in free to the big top. Once, one of the circus men came over to gramp's house leading a saddled horse. He hoisted us kids aboard and led the horse around the house a few times.

Just another memory todays snots will never get to experience.:(
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G#Gill
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Circuses facing Wild Animal Ban...

Post by G#Gill »

I thought that a ban was already in existence. Obviously not. However, I believe that some travelling circuses had reduced the use of wild animals, retaining horses, dogs, monkeys(chimps) and sometimes elephants. These animals seemed to enjoy the 'games' of performing, they seemed happy with their lot to me so I accepted this compromise. The Russian State Circus, I believe, has only human performers in it, but I could be wrong.

When the proposed ban comes into force, it would be nice if the wild animals were found a home in a wild life park, so they had the freedom to roam in far more natural surroundings. I feel that zoos, by the nature of the restricted area at their disposal for the animals, are in many cases inadequate for the comfort and well-being of the various wild animals in their care. I remember visiting Twycross Zoo many years ago and being concerned at the 'swaying' of some of the monkeys in their caged compounds - indicating that they were disturbed and frustrated. They did have a few trees and bars to swing from, but the area for them was quite small IMO.

It would be a shame if, when they are moved from the circus, their destination was little better than their existence within the circus. Little gain for them then.
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dandy desmond
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Circuses facing Wild Animal Ban...

Post by dandy desmond »

im afraid i must disagree here oscar.

preforming animals in circuses are a tradition they work alongside the preformers to make the magic of circus.

circuses have also been singled out by the local authorities in as much as they now have to have to pay a preformance licence fee for every preformance on top of the weeks field hire to the local council which puts them at a disadvantage compared to fun fairs which do not pay anything apart from the field hire a move designed to kill off the traditional circus many small ones have closed and are no longer touring

and the bigger ones only visit large towns or cities spending a week at a time there

the smaller towns no longer get a visit from the circus.

may i suggest that you visit the freinds of the circus site on the internet it may open your eyes.

i was a former ring lad for robert brothers circus also watch the musical film the greatest show on earth which featured ringling brothers barnum and bailey combined circuses.

pt barnum and lou jacob must be turning in their graves
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Circuses facing Wild Animal Ban...

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dandy desmond;1299876 wrote: im afraid i must disagree here oscar.

preforming animals in circuses are a tradition they work alongside the preformers to make the magic of circus.

circuses have also been singled out by the local authorities in as much as they now have to have to pay a preformance licence fee for every preformance on top of the weeks field hire to the local council which puts them at a disadvantage compared to fun fairs which do not pay anything apart from the field hire a move designed to kill off the traditional circus many small ones have closed and are no longer touring

and the bigger ones only visit large towns or cities spending a week at a time there

the smaller towns no longer get a visit from the circus.

may i suggest that you visit the freinds of the circus site on the internet it may open your eyes.

i was a former ring lad for robert brothers circus also watch the musical film the greatest show on earth which featured ringling brothers barnum and bailey combined circuses.

pt barnum and lou jacob must be turning in their graves You don't have to apologise to disagree with me here. This Is what a forum is about.... The difference of opinion.

Welcome by the way. :)

I commend you for being a Circus Pro.. It is not the circus In general that I object to. I do believe the Performers have Olympic talent and I admire them for that.

I myself am an Old Animal Rights activist and my belief happens to be that no man should take an animal from the wild for monetary gain.

I have done research Into Circus animals In the past and I must be fair and say that amny have come a long way In Animal Welfare since the Freak Show days as recently as the 70's.

It's the Animals welfare that I have always been concerned with. I'd much rather they were In their natural Habitat In their Home-land.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them. R.L. Binyon
dandy desmond
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Circuses facing Wild Animal Ban...

Post by dandy desmond »

oscar;1299893 wrote: You don't have to apologise to disagree with me here. This Is what a forum is about.... The difference of opinion.

Welcome by the way. :)

I commend you for being a Circus Pro.. It is not the circus In general that I object to. I do believe the Performers have Olympic talent and I admire them for that.

I myself am an Old Animal Rights activist and my belief happens to be that no man should take an animal from the wild for monetary gain.

I have done research Into Circus animals In the past and I must be fair and say that amny have come a long way In Animal Welfare since the Freak Show days as recently as the 70's.

It's the Animals welfare that I have always been concerned with. I'd much rather they were In their natural Habitat In their Home-land.


mary chipperfield gave circuses a bad name when she was convicted for beating that chimpanzee.

the animals where always well looked after the only ones caged all the time where the dangerous ones such as tigers.

the animals love to preform they enjoy being in the ring and doing their tricks for people and the reward they get for doing them.

oh and thanks for the welcome to the garden
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Circuses facing Wild Animal Ban...

Post by Oscar Namechange »

dandy desmond;1299990 wrote: mary chipperfield gave circuses a bad name when she was convicted for beating that chimpanzee.

the animals where always well looked after the only ones caged all the time where the dangerous ones such as tigers.

the animals love to preform they enjoy being in the ring and doing their tricks for people and the reward they get for doing them.

oh and thanks for the welcome to the garden
I've had many a debate on this forum where I have had to protest that In my Passion, National Hunt Horse-racing, the horses enjoy racing, training and even playing up to the crowd on Course.

Your right... Mary Chipperfield caused out-rage at the time and was directly responsible for the extra Interest that Politicians showed Into the welfare of Circus Animals.

As a Circus Artiste yourself, maybe you could tell me from your experience how Tigers etc are kept In the captivity of the Circus and the transportation between shows.? I'm Interested. :)
At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them. R.L. Binyon
dandy desmond
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Circuses facing Wild Animal Ban...

Post by dandy desmond »

oscar;1300066 wrote: I've had many a debate on this forum where I have had to protest that In my Passion, National Hunt Horse-racing, the horses enjoy racing, training and even playing up to the crowd on Course.

Your right... Mary Chipperfield caused out-rage at the time and was directly responsible for the extra Interest that Politicians showed Into the welfare of Circus Animals.

As a Circus Artiste yourself, maybe you could tell me from your experience how Tigers etc are kept In the captivity of the Circus and the transportation between shows.? I'm Interested. :)


well the tigers or lions where kept in their cage most of the time but the tigers cage had a double liftable panel in the middle to facilitate cage cleaning and or extra room or for seperation purposes.

they had a long metal tunnel which got them in and out of the ring and into their cage which was first built in the ring and then pulled down while the clowns where on and after the show rebuilt for the next preformance and also used for exercising them only the tamer and assitants where allowed near the cage

i was once sent up on the roof for some straw and the lion in the cage below started licking its lips and i thought not bloody likely mate.
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Circuses facing Wild Animal Ban...

Post by Oscar Namechange »

dandy desmond;1300472 wrote: well the tigers or lions where kept in their cage most of the time but the tigers cage had a double liftable panel in the middle to facilitate cage cleaning and or extra room or for seperation purposes.

they had a long metal tunnel which got them in and out of the ring and into their cage which was first built in the ring and then pulled down while the clowns where on and after the show rebuilt for the next preformance and also used for exercising them only the tamer and assitants where allowed near the cage

i was once sent up on the roof for some straw and the lion in the cage below started licking its lips and i thought not bloody likely mate. Thanks for replying.

Now, the problem I have Is that you have said that the Lions and Tigers are kept In their cages most of the time.

Surely you must agree that this Is not natural for them? Tigers are dwindling In numbers at the rate of Knots In their Natural Home-Lands. Lions on the other hand are more densly populated In their Home-Lands.

Another question for you? What would the circus do to a Tiger or Lion that attacked an Artiste?
At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them. R.L. Binyon
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