With no animals Not sure if that will work .
Pro wrestling, in other words. I guess it’s only fitting that the artform that birthed the sport should wind up imitating it.
Cirque du Soleil is allegedly the largest theatrical producer in the world, and they don’t use animals in their acts. I guess Ringling is planning on going into more direct competition with Cirque.
Cirque du Soleil makes a good product. The traditional circus has plenty of non-animal acts. I’m sure the operators are thrilled to not have to deal with the animals anymore. They were probably only still in the show because they were expected to be there, and as “family entertainment,” which we all know is generally code for “kids show,” kids like them.
Don’t think I took my kids but probably because their mother did not like it.
I haven’t read the link (it’s Friday. I moved from training to call-taking this week). But, I don’t recall real evidence that Ringling abused their elephants. Last time I saw the UniverSoul Circus, there were people protesting the elephants. If they had real evidence of abuse, there would have been no elephants. I distinctly recall a protest signs C I R C U S. I was for indgignity because making elephants perform hurts their dignity.
I am not making this up.
I think there is decent evidence that the performance shows that involve wild animals carry with them a somewhat intrinsically abusive element to make the animals perform. These aren’t domesticated animals, and they are being kept in very unnatural conditions.
I think Ringling certainly did things in the last 20 years in which it operated the animal acts, to try and allay public criticism (I think SeaWorld has done the same, but still has the same core issues) --and they do fund sanctuaries for retired circus animals and things like that, but it’s just an intrinsically nasty business for this day and age.
And yes, FWIW I do think traditional Mahouts and their elephants is a somewhat abusive situation, innately, as well. I don’t deny it’s something with an ancient tradition, nor deny that many Mahouts care deeply about their animals, but again–none of the elephant species has been domesticated and keeping a wild animal in captivity adds multiple layers of cruelty almost intrinsically.
Mind you, I’m a voracious meat eater, and not an “animal rights” guy at all, but I recognize cruelty where I see it.
Years and years ago I worked at a small circus for a summer (I was a stagehand and cage boy). We didn’t have elephants, but we did have lions, and when Ringling Bros. came to town, we all went for a visit (circus folks tend to know other circus folks in other circuses. There’s a fair amount of moving from one outfit to another) and I got to hang around with the elephant and lion folks backstage.
I can say that at that circus, in those days, the lions were no more mistreated or abused than any pet in any home (I do understand that some animal rights activists are opposed even to the keeping of animals as pets). This was before there was any animal activist attention to the circus.
Every elephant I saw at Ringling Brothers and every big cat at Ringling or our circus, was well-fed and well-treated. All of them were circus-born, from circus-born parents and earlier generations (many born and raised in the same circus, with the same family of trainers raising them). These animals were loved and cared for as part of the family, lots of careful attention every single day, including good food (part of my job was to drive to the local wholesale butcher and fill the back of the pickup truck with pig’s heads. When a lion gets through with a pig’s head, all that is left is a little piece of the lower jaw), vitamins, skin care, grooming, regular visits from the vet, and petting and conversation.
The affection seemed to go both ways–the animals seemed happy to see their humans, came right over to get attention, and seemed like they enjoyed doing their performances, whether for an audience or not. In fact, it even seemed like these animals got more and better attention than some household pets, since the humans knew very well that the animals were their livelihood.
I vividly remember, on a day when we had no shows, the lion trainer and his young kids, all rolling around on the ground with a lioness and her young cubs. Kissing the babies, rubbing down the mama, while they all purred.
I’m glad Ringling Brothers is reopening. I’m sorry it’s without animals. Those animals made for a great show, and at least in my experience, the animals had good lives.
I spent some time in the circus world too, and my experience is nearly identical to yours. I’ll add a couple more details…
There are many incentives to treat the animals well. Just being a part of people’s livelihoods is a big reason. But more importantly, elephants, lions, tigers etc are wild animals. They are “trained” but not “tame”, and if you piss them off they can and will kill you. It was an idea I saw laughed at more than once - You’re a cruel and abusive animal trainer. You beat and terrorize your animals and then… you get in a cage with them? Such a person wouldn’t live long.
That was particularly true with tigers. They were considered the most dangerous and potentially unpredictable if you gave them an opportunity. A trainer once told me you could never turn your back on a tiger (mentally, in the sense of letting your guard down). Same guy also said chimps were the ultimate in danger. “Ten times as strong as a human, and twice as smart.”
I also saw many animals that seemed to genuinely enjoy working with humans, and would even try to perform for people on off days. One assumes they understood they would receive positive attention.
All that said, I don’t have any problem with discontinuing the use of animal acts. I don’t agree that performing is inherently degrading to animals, but at the same time it’s not so important that we can’t do without it. Lots of great stuff in the circus with just the humans.
Here are some instances of abuse.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A48042-2004Aug7.html