History:

In 1995, AETA, which later became Voice for Animals, lost a bid to get a bylaw passed banning performing wild and exotic animals in the City of Edmonton. In the process we did manage to raise the level of public awareness to a new level.

In 1996, however, we were successful in virtually stopping the distribution of Shrine Circus vouchers to school children.

The Edmonton Public School Board and Edmonton Catholic Schools were presented with pictures, videos and information about the plight of performing animals. This resulted in the EPSB enacting a policy which stated:

Ticket vouchers would no longer be handed out to all children, only on the request of the parents.

The Edmonton Catholic Schools have to a large extent stopped receiving the vouchers in their schools. This was on the recommendation of their Science/Environmental Literacy Consultant.

This resulted in a drop in attendance of more than 50% and the decline continues.

Our Approach:

Raising public awareness - Through protests, distributing information and the media, the suffering of performing animals is reaching the general public.

Recommending alternatives - There are many highly successful animal-free circuses. As well, lotteries, sporting and cultural events have proved to work well for many charities.

Legislation - Local municipalities can best protect performing animals by enacting bylaws that prohibit wild and exotic animal acts. In Canada alone, 30 municipalities have passed such legislation.

Events that use wild and exotic animals in the City of Edmonton:

Shrine Circus

This is an annual event sponsored by the local Al Shamal Shriners. The circuses that the Shriners have contracted with have often used the US based Hawthorn Corporation. This supplier of animals is considered one of the worst, having accumulated hundreds of citation for improper care of the animals from the United States Department of Agriculture. They have had their licence revoked and been fined thousands of dollars. Although the circus has a long history in the Shrine organization, the money raised does not go to the Shrine Hospitals or other charities. In an exchange between Councillor Allan Bolstad and the Shriners in a City Council Committee Meeting, the president of the Al Shamal Shriners admitted that the money from the Shrine Circus is used for administration - not charitable causes.

Read the PETA Fact Sheet on The Shrine Circus.

Visit circuses.com for more information.

Tigers arriving at the Shrine Circus. The travel cages, known as "beast wagons" are also the permanent living quarters for these animals.

Elephant chained and standing in its own waste. Such conditions are typical during travel.

Klondike Days

Many different animal acts have been brought in for this annual event. The most memorable was The Great Elephant Roundup; featuring 14 elephants brought to Edmonton by the notorious Hawthorn Corporation.

The Great Elephant Roundup at Klondike Days. These 4 beaten and bruised elephants were pointed out as being their "problem elephants". Tyke, later killed in Hawaii is second from the right.

Tyke, after killing her trainer, rampaged through the streets of Honolulu. She was shot almost 100 times and took over 2 hours to die.

Moscow Circus on Ice

This circus featured bears wearing skates and playing hockey. It is difficult to imagine what the trainers must have done to these animals to make them perform this act. While in Alberta the bears were housed at Doug’s Exotic Zoo in Red Deer in individual cages so small that most of the animals were unable to turn around or stand up to their full height.

The Moscow Circus on Ice. These brown bears are forced to wear skates and play a "hockey game".

Our Position in Regards to Performing Animals:

We believe in two important concepts for dealing with captive wild animals. One is the distinction between wild and domesticated animals the other is the requirement of the "Five Freedoms".

The circus industry often refers to performing animals, such as elephants and tigers, as being domesticated because they were born in captivity or tolerate human handling. This is a mistaken idea; the following is a scientific definition of domestication.

A domesticated animal is defined as an animal selectively bred in captivity, and thereby modified from its wild ancestors, for use by humans who control the animal’s breeding and food supply. There have been no significant additions of animals deemed domesticated since 2500 B.C.

Animals in circuses are tame, not domesticated and this is a very important distinction when considering animal welfare and public safety.

"The Five Freedoms" which are essential to the wellbeing of an animal are listed here.

Animals should be free from:

• hunger, thirst and malnutrition
• discomfort
• fear and distress
• pain, injury and disease
• be able to express normal behaviours
• experience normal social groupings

These can be used as a checklist to determine if an animal’s physical and psychological needs are being met.

The Suffering of Performing Wild and Exotic Animals.

Acquisition of Animals:

Animals used in circus performances originate from the wild, zoos and private exotic animal markets with almost none being born in the circus. Most elephants are captured from the wild which raises serious ethical concerns. The entertainment industry almost exclusively wants very young animals because of the ease of handling and training. However, at the desirable age of approximately two these babies are unlikely to be weaned and in the wild females stay with their mothers for life, males until they are 12-15 years old. Due to the protectiveness of the mother and other females in the group, entire herds have been killed to acquire one baby.

There are indications of direct links between circuses and the illegal wild life trade. Legally traded wild life within the circus industry is actually the exception. The effect of this illegal trade on wild life populations is devastating. It is estimated that 80% of the animals handled die either in the capture process, in transit or within the first few days of captivity.

Travel and Living Conditions:

Animals suffer terribly during travel. Lions, tigers, bears and other animals travel and indeed spend their entire lives in small barren transportation cages know in the industry as beast wagons. These cages are so small (approximately 4’-5’ wide by 8’-10’ long) that some of the animals are unable to turn around. By nature fastidious, they have no choice but to eat, sleep, defecate and urinate in this small space. Their lives are devoid of stimulation and none are able to engage in their normal repertoire of behaviours.

Elephants are always chained except for the few minutes a day they perform. They are tethered by one front leg and the opposite hind leg; the chains often only long enough to allow the elephant to take one step forward and one step back. In the wild, elephants are far ranging often walking dozens of kilometers a day. As captive performers, the extent of their chains is often their only exercise.

During travel elephants are crammed into boxcars or trailers and chained standing in their urine and feces for days. These transport facilities are windowless, poorly ventilated and without temperature regulation. In the summer the animals swelter, in the winter they freeze. Food and water is often withheld to cut down on the mess for the convenience of circus personnel.

Training Methods:

There is urgency in getting an animal trained to perform, until an animal is trained and on the road they are a financial drain to the owners. The only sure way to get a wild animal to perform unnatural tricks (such as bears riding bicycles and tigers jumping through flaming hoops) in a hurry and to keep them under control is through fear. Tools used in the training of animals include electric prods, the ankus (wooden handle with a sharp point and hook at one end), whips, clubs and muzzles. Circus animal trainers claim that the animals are trained with love. These, however, are not implements of caring but of domination and control.

For decades there have been accusations of harsh training methods. For example, Pat Derby, former Hollywood animal trainer has witnessed "elephants being beaten and electro shocked in the vagina, ears, mouth and anus; bears’ noses broken and their feet burned, and big cats being struck with wooden bats"

Witnesses to Cruelty:

There is a long history of accusations of cruel and sadistic treatment of circus animals. These have come mostly from former trainers and circus crewmen but also from accidental witnessing by the public. In a testimonial by former Ringling Brother’s crewmember, Doc Ewell, he says, "when they hit one of the baby elephants, all of the adult elephants get frantic"

The claims of routine beatings and cruelty, often dismissed as coming from "disgruntled former employees", is now being verified through the popularity of personal videos. Circus insiders as well as patrons are now coming forward with images of animals being beaten and abused. A recent behind the scenes undercover video shot at Carson and Barnes Circus shows director Tim Frisco, teaching would-be trainers, beating and electro-shocking elephants. He can be heard screaming:

"Don’t touch ‘em - hurt ‘em. Don’t touch ‘em - make ‘em scream - Tear that foot off! Sink it in the foot! Tear it off! Make ‘em scream!"

This video was aired during a news broadcast on a Los Angeles T.V. station. It is becoming clear that circus trainers’ claims that the animals are treated with love and trained through positive reinforcement are self-serving lies.

Abnormal Behaviour:

The constant traveling and confinement, harsh training methods, sterile cages, the monotony and lack of stimulation take a terrible toll on circus animals. In addition, the disregard of social structures and the frustration of natural instincts lead to the mental breakdown of these animals. The results can be seen in their abnormal behaviour such as stereotypical movements that include head bobbing, swaying, rocking from side to side, pacing and self-mutilation.

Until he extends the circle of compassion to all living things, man will not himself find peace.
Dr. Albert Schweitzer

In 2002, Voice for Animals made another attempt to a have bylaw passed to prohibit performing wild animals in the City of Edmonton. Councillor Allan Bolstad supported us in this attempt, by tabling an inquiry to the Community Services Committee. Presentations were made to the committee by interested parties and in March of 2003, Councillor Bolstad put a motion before Council.

Again, public awareness was raised as the Inquiry made its way through the committee process at City Hall. There was media attention, both positive and negative, from all the major media outlets in Edmonton. Although the motion to pass a bylaw was defeated, we felt we had made some headway and will make another attempt in the near future.

Two very positive things resulted from this process: the Shriners admitted that the circus money is not used for charitable purposes; they also admitted that the company they rented their elephant act from mistreated their animals and switched to another supplier.

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Background:

After the deaths of three adult dolphins and all five calves, born in captivity, at WEM, and the subsequent release of the sole remaining dolphin, Howard, to a facility in Florida, the tanks at WEM remained empty for a few months. Instead of exhibiting sea mammals, WEM began hosting a popular diving show.

But the reprieve was short-lived. In October of 2004, WEM imported three California sea lions from Scotland–Pablo, Clara, and Kelpie–to take the place of the dolphins.

V4A later discovered that WEM had acquired four sea lions, but one had died enroute. We went public with this information much to the embarrassment of WEM. Despite the spin mall management tried to put on this incident, it became clear to all that shipping these animals around the world puts their lives in grave danger.

Our Approach:

V4A has mounted a concerted effort to have the sea lions released to a better facility and to encourage WEM to become animal-free. You can help by condemning the sea lion display and any future animals exhibits at WEM.

Contact:

Gary Hanson, General Manager
West Edmonton Mall

#2472, 8882-170 St.
Edmonton, AB T5T 4M2
800-661-8890 (North America)
780-444-5200
780-444-5232 (fax)
gm@westedmontonmall.com

Letters Editor
Edmonton Journal

10006-101 St.
Edmonton, AB T5J 2S6
780-498-5567 (fax)
letters@thejournal.canwest.com

Why we oppose the captivity of sea lions:

The captivity of sea lions is as deeply objectionable as the captivity of dolphins.

1. In physical terms, the captive environment of sea lions is profoundly limited and impoverished.

Although sea lions tend to be relatively sedentary on land, they have evolved to make annual journeys of hundreds, if not thousands, of miles through the oceans.
The coastal environment of sea lions is rich in biodiversity. Public display facilities provide a sterile environment.

2. In social terms, too, the captive environment is impoverished and artificial.

California sea lions congregate in groups of dozens of animals when on land, occasionally achieving aggregations of hundreds of individuals. When in the water, they float together in large "rafts" to thermo-regulate.
In captivity, these gregarious animals are forced to exist in small groups, of sometimes no more than 2 to 3 individuals.
Rebuttal to statements used to justify the captivity of sea lions:

Justification #1: Sea lions bred in captivity cannot be released into the wild.

Fact: Although at present there are few rehabilitation facilities for captive-born animals, statement #1 ignores the root of the problem. Because baby sea lions are popular with zoo and aquarium visitors, baby sea lions continue to be born. Sadly, when these animals reach adulthood, many of them are shunted into holding facilities or sold off, replaced by a seemingly endless stream of new babies that appeal more to the public. Unfortunately, there are currently more captive-bred sea lions than there are places to adequately house them. As long as baby sea lions attract the public, there will be more sea lions bred, perpetuating the problem. (Zoocheck Canada)

Justification #2: The sea lions are well-cared for in public facilities.

Fact: Sea lions are not domesticated animals, meaning that they have not been bred for hundreds or thousands of generations for characteristics that make them amenable to living in human environments. They maintain their natural instincts, which include the need for large social groupings, the need to hunt fish, the need to vacate stressful situations by water. To deny these animals their innate biological and behavioral needs is to cause suffering. (Zoocheck Canada)

Justification #3: The sea lion is not an endangered species.

Fact: The fact that the sea lion is not an endangered species does not justify its captivity. Sea lions suffer in captivity because they cannot engage in their natural behaviors. Their captive environment is impoverished and limited.

Justification #4: The sea lion is responsible for shrinking fish stocks.

Fact: The sea lion has been made a scapegoat by the fishing industry. "There are no data to support the contention that sea lions are responsible for the decline of fisheries." (Dr. Toni Frohoff, behavioral biologist and noted marine mammal expert)

Justification #5: The sea lion is protected in captivity, whereas its natural environment could be dangerous to its survival.

Fact: To use the rigours of the wild as a justification for the conditions of captivity is misleading and disingenuous. This argument implies that the natural environment is an evil to be avoided and that the captive environment is the preferred state. The suggestion is that the animals must be protected from the very environment that sustains them. To suggest that the lives of these animals are better because they have been spared-or in truth, prevented-from having to do exactly what evolution shaped them to do is absurd. (Humane Society of the United States)

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