It is doubtful that anything of value can be learned by watching elephants balancing on their heads, muzzled bears in tutus riding bicycles, or chimpanzees dressed up as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, despite claims by circus proponents that all of these activities are merely extensions of natural behaviors that encourage the public to appreciate and learn about animals.

Education Myths

Wild animals that perform in circuses, traveling shows, and novelty acts rarely perform behaviors that are truly representative of the range and complexity of behaviors exhibited by their counterparts in the wild. Removed from their natural ecosystems and social environments, they are required to perform actions and live in conditions which are abnormal, unnatural and, at times, dangerous.

Exactly what do people learn about animals when they go to the circus? They can see the size, shape, and color of the animal. But behavior patterns, social interactions, intelligence, hunting instinct, maternal care giving, food gathering, and movement patterns, and all the facets of animal behavior that have taken tens of thousands of years to evolve in each species are absent. Removing animals from their natural ecological context conveys a negative educational message to the public by creating a distorted picture of the animal - often endangered species like the Asian elephant, chimpanzee, or bengal tiger which are at serious risk of extinction in the wild.

Conservation Myths

At a time when conservation organizations throughout the world are trying to create an appreciation and protective attitude toward endangered species, circus audiences are still encouraged to laugh at animals portrayed as clowns and objects of amusement.

Because of an increasing public concern for wildlife conservation, the more astute circuses have recognized that they need to change their image if they want to stay in business. With professional public relations experts and image consultants, many circuses are now trying to convince the public that confining endangered animals to cramped beast wagons or training them to do ridiculous stunts is not only educational, but that it is also conservation at work.

Reality

Claims by the circus industry that they make a legitimate contribution to conservation through the captive breeding of endangered species is based on false logic. Many circus animal species, such as tigers, are already in a surplus situation in captivity, so breeding is unnecessary. Further, human encroachment into animal territory, and habitat destruction are the real roadblocks to endangered species' survival. Circuses do nothing to address these problems. The truth is, captive breeding in circuses does nothing to help endangered species.