Life under the big top is not the "wholesome," fun-loving, educational experience the circus industry would like you to think it is. For the animals, life is a monotonous and brutal routine of boredom, stress and pain. In reality, traveling animal acts perpetuate animal cruelty, inhumane care, public safety hazards and distorted images of wildlife.

Forced to perform in circuses, read Lota's story.

Circus animals are confined virtually all of their lives in barren conditions, while forced to suffer extreme physical and psychological deprivation. Spending virtually 96% of their lives in chains or cages, they travel about 11 months a year over long distances in box cars with no climate control, sleeping, eating and defecating in the same cage. When these animals are allowed out they are trained using extreme "discipline" such as whipping, hitting, poking, and shocking with electrical prods. Even though the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) sets minimum standards of care, the nature of traveling shows ensure that most itinerary stops are not inspected.

Wild animal acts also pose a significant threat to public health and safety. Elephants in the circus may carry tuberculosis (TB), and can infect humans with the bacterial disease. Public records show that many circuses have used TB-positive elephants in public performances. Circuses are also not required by law to carry emergency euthanasia equipment and local law enforcement agencies may be forced to deal with a loose animal. Since the 1990's circuses have been responsible for over 100 human injuries worldwide.

Read more circus facts:

• USDA inspection reports on circuses
• Attacks on and injuries of humans
• Circuses and the law

Human encroachment and loss of habitat are the largest threats to wild elephants.

Circuses such as Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey circus claim to actively support breeding programs for the sake of education and conservation of wild species. A captive life in the circus for these elephants consists of shackles measuring as little as five feet in length. In the wild these elephants would have a natural territory covering up to 2,300 square miles. By turning the spotlight on captive breeding programs in North America for animals to be used for entertainment, these circuses do nothing to raise awareness of the wild elephant's largest threat today—human encroachment into elephant territory and loss of habitat.

Bears on leashes and spinning on spools do not portray the natural behaviors of these animals in the wild.

There was a time when a circus may have represented the only exposure a child had to a wild animal. Today, our children learn early in school about the complex social structure of lions, the strong nurturing behaviors of mother elephants, and the natural territorial patterns of bears. With TV channels like Animal Planet and The Discovery Channel, children learn that wild animals live complex and fascinating lives, and have natural instincts, developed over thousands of years.

What kids see in circuses completely contradicts what they learn in school and from educational television. The circus industry claims that it only trains animals to do the types of tricks they might naturally perform. In the wild, animals live their lives sleeping, looking for food or raising their babies. Costumed bears lying on their backs spinning giant balls, tigers jumping through flames, or elephants walking on their hind legs then balancing on their heads, are not the natural behaviors of these wild animals. If we care about saving and protecting wild animals, should we be taking a step backward by exposing kids to the negative messages circuses send?

In the wild, tigers rarely find themselves confronted with flaming hoops to jump through. Tigers actually have a natural fear of fire.

When circuses portray unnatural and inaccurate images of how wild animals live and act, in such an unrealistic context, they promote the notion that it's acceptable, even enjoyable to exploit these animals for entertainment. This creates a greater disconnect between people and wild animals. Circuses perpetuate an outdated attitude that wild animals are our resource to use at any cost to their welfare—an attitude that PAWS, other animal protection groups, wildlife organizations and zoos work tirelessly to counteract through outreach and education.

1. Support animal-free circuses coming to the Seattle-area:
   
   • Circus Contraption offers affordable cabaret-style entertainment in Seattle, even with a "Kiddie Kabaret."
   • The Moisture Festival is a family-oriented comedy and vaudeville style festival held each spring in Seattle.
   • Cirque du Soleil travels nation-wide performing spectacular theme-based shows with magnificent costumes and acrobatics.
     
   • Teatro ZinZanni is an elaborate three-hour experience of cirque, comedy and cabaret all served up with a five-course feast.
     
     
   For a larger list of animal-free circuses and tour locations, go to:
   
   • Born Free USA
   • Animal-Free Circuses Fact Sheet [PDF]
     
     
2. Sign up for PAWS' Actionline E-newsletters to receive action alerts about the circus, exotic animals, and other animal welfare issues.
   
   
3. Educate yourself:
   Read more about circuses and circus animals at the following websites:
   
   • Animal Protection Institute
   • Elephant Sanctuary of Tennessee
   • Performing Animal Welfare Society
   • People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
   
   Read recent news about lawsuits filed against Ringling Bros.:
   
   • "Groups trying to stop circus from chaining elephants"
   • "Federal judge rejects bid to block trial in Ringling Bros. elephant cruelty case"