talkmagic.co.uk

You've probably heard the news today that a ban is to be introduced which prevents the use of wild animals in travelling circuses - see http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/ma ... government - I wonder if that applies to illusionists who travel around the country and use tigers etc in their big box routines? Amthyst used a tiger in the set at Blackpool so maybe the news signals and end to this kind of routine?

My feelings on the matter...( cut from my reply on Bunny. Im being lazy i know.)

We can but wait and see. I somehow doubt it will have much impact on dove workers, other than the possibility that you will have to be inspected to make sure that you care for your livestock correctly, and their traveling conditions come up to scratch.
Which, if it were to happen would be a good thing, since there are a lot of missguided idiots out there, who virtually torture their birds.
Mind you .. thinking about it, they are not going to stop Pidgeon racers, and breaders. They show off their birds for one reason or other.
The news keeps on showing an Elephant in their coverage of this story.
odd that. Elephants are not exactly running wild here in the u.k, so how do they come under the term "wild" animal? And in India, and much of Asia, the Elephant is a domesticated creature. So again....not Wild.
And 100% of the animals that work in circus.. bread in captivity.

so again.... Not exactly Wild.

A circus friend of mine often talks about this. He gets quite heated over it, because this bill has never been voted on. And the research done , very little.

Well let's hope that it does put an end to the use of animals in these sorts of acts. It doesn't matter how well the performers think they're looking after their animals, creatures like tigers, elephants, etc. need large, well thought out enclosures and conditions that it's just not possible to provide as part of a travelling act.

Lady of Mystery wrote:Well let's hope that it does put an end to the use of animals in these sorts of acts. It doesn't matter how well the performers think they're looking after their animals, creatures like tigers, elephants, etc. need large, well thought out enclosures and conditions that it's just not possible to provide as part of a travelling act.

I agree MiLady.

CArl...

Just because an animal is in the circus is no indication it is being abused or mistreated. Many circus folk treat their animals very well.

I am no fan of animal acts, but I am not comfortable with this new ban either. Luckily it will not apply this side of the pond.

I worked in a circus once. I did not get a great vibe about kindness to animals. They were always nice to the elephant when the public came round but not so nice to it when the punters disappeared. But more than that was the conversation among the various acts that used animals. They seemed to have a callous disregard for them talking about giving electric shocks to lions to make them roar and having the horses put down at the end of the season.

I know the feelings that a traditional circus is not the same without the animals and I used to share them. However, I had a complete change of heart after my circus experience. I suppose it could be argued that other circuses apart from mine treat their animals well but I don't buy it. I got the impression that it was circus culture to treat the animals badly and what happened in one circus is pretty universal.

I am afraid I am not a fan of performing animals. I don't even like magicians producing rabbits and doves from those cramped up spaces they get put in against their own volition.
And I am afraid that today didn't help when I read that a pig has more intelligence than a 3 year old child. It will quite put me off my breakfast tomorrow. I am not sure I will ever eat bacon again after reading that.

Well said Mark. My,I admit short, stay with a circus left me with a similar opinion.

mark lewis wrote:And I am afraid that today didn't help when I read that a pig has more intelligence than a 3 year old child. It will quite put me off my breakfast tomorrow. I am not sure I will ever eat bacon again after reading that.

Trouble is a three year old doesn't taste as nice with brown sauce in a sandwich.

Heckler wrote:

mark lewis wrote:And I am afraid that today didn't help when I read that a pig has more intelligence than a 3 year old child. It will quite put me off my breakfast tomorrow. I am not sure I will ever eat bacon again after reading that.

Trouble is a three year old doesn't taste as nice with brown sauce in a sandwich.

As the saying goes: "don't knock it..."