“Committed To A Kinder World, The Great Moscow Circus Contains No Animal Acts”.
The movement away from the use of animals in forms of entertainment is gaining momentum. In a ground-breaking move, travel web site and interactive forum TripAdvisor has announced that it will no longer allow users to book activities that involve contact with endangered species or captive wild animals.
The NSPCA firmly believes that there is no educational value in petting lion cubs or having photographs taken whilst holding or beside wild animals. Wild animals belong in the wild and should be viewed in their natural environment.
Walking with or riding elephants or other wild animals are activities which the NSPCA opposes on welfare grounds. Interactions of this kind have no benefit to the animals. Of concern is what may have taken place behind the scenes to train and/or “tame” them.
All the above are exploitive profit-making activities which compromise the welfare of the animals and are pure entertainment.
We encourage people to support alternatives and there are two opportunities to do so in our country: – Cirque Eloize and the Great Moscow Circus. Both have outstanding reviews yet neither have any acts involving animals.
Cirque Eloize is Canadian based and will be at the Artscape Theatre in Cape Town for 15 performances from 16 November and at the Monte Casino Teatro from 30 November to 24 December.
The Great Moscow Circus will be at Monte Casino from 22 December 2016 until 08 January 2017, a two hour show in an arena in the central area.
The NSPCA applauds initiatives of this kind and appeals to everyone to prove that there is support for worthy, ethical and non-exploitive entertainment. It has a place, is appreciated and we wish both these ventures every success in our country.
Related articles:
TripAdvisor’s ground-breaking policy commended
Elephant Riding – pressure leads to change
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