Last month, the U.S. House of Representatives took up a proposed law to exclude elephants from traveling circus shows and to ban elephant rides for people. Why are Congress and other lawmakers becoming concerned about the uses of elephants in these ways?

The spotlights focus on the main ring, the band strikes up a lively march, the entry curtain rises, and three large gray elephants parade into the ring. The first holds a parasol in his raised trunk, and the others hold on with their trunks to the tail of the one in front. Behind the adults, barely holding on, follows a young elephant. The crowd is delighted and cheers their entry.

In every circus, the arrival of the elephants is one of the most eagerly awaited events by young and old alike. The tricks the elephants perform, which typically emphasize the amazing delicacy and sensitivity of such large animals, feed the audience's desire to be surprised and amazed. How is it possible that such a huge animal can balance all that weight on a large rubber ball—or on one leg?

At moments like these, we are too excited and impressed to ask ourselves, "What is the circus experience for the elephant?"

The answers are "inhumane" and "dangerous," according to California Congressman Sam Farr, who has introduced "The Captive Elephant Accident Prevention Act."

"Because of circuses and elephant rides, we've grown accustomed to seeing elephants performing tricks or being ridden as if they are domesticated animals such as horses," Farr said when he drafted the bill.

"But these are not domesticated creatures. Elephants are wild animals—animals for whom all the coaxing in the world will not encourage them to let you ride on their backs, or get them to stand on their heads, rear up on their hind legs, walk a balance beam, or any of the other unnatural stunts they perform in circuses."

Farr's concerns extend not only to elephants but to humans, who have been hurt or killed when elephants rampage. His voice has joined a growing chorus that wants to change the elephant's traditional role as an entertainer.

Differences of Opinion

Opinions on the quality of elephants' lives in circuses vary widely. The growing awareness of animal welfare issues has pitted the circuses against groups advocating for the animals.

Circus owners and trainers maintain that the elephants receive excellent veterinary care and are treated warmly because they are long-term members of the circus family. For instance, the well-known Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus notes that all animals are fed, groomed, and cleaned daily. A special portable fence allows elephants to exercise and socialize wherever the circus visits. And after their performing days are over, these elephants eventually go to a retirement facility in Florida.

On the other hand, representatives of such groups as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and the Humane Society, who have monitored the treatment of exotic animals within circuses, maintain that the animals are treated poorly. These groups say that, when not performing, elephants and other wild animals must be kept in confining enclosures. Elephants must frequently be restrained with leg chains connected to some secure object. And it is virtually impossible for circuses to provide acceptable levels of exercise.

Maybe both are right. What's true at one circus might not be true at all circuses. Smaller, traveling circuses frequently lease exotic animals from dealers for the circus season. Thus, an elephant will often move from one circus to another, never really having a home or a single trainer who might look out for the elephant's welfare.

Critics have also raised concerns over the training of animals in circuses. Circuses maintain that elephants are treated with sensitivity and kindness as they learn and perform their routines. They claim that only positive reinforcement is used during training and that the tricks that are taught display the natural athleticism of the animals.

But information provided by animal rights groups indicates that training methods are often harsh and that the animals are frequently abused. Reluctance on the part of an animal to practice its tricks may often be the cause for physical punishment.

There are some people who think that animal acts in circuses are an anachronism. In the past, people had limited experience with exotic animals. Circuses provided one of the few available opportunities to gain some experience with them. But in the past 50 years, people have had more access to these animals through movies, television, zoos, wild animal parks, etc. In many of these situations, the animals are in their natural habitats or in conditions that simulate them.

The USDA inspects circuses and tries to safeguard the animals' health, safety, and welfare. People like you have been enlisted to help keep watch for abuses when circuses visit their towns. The question for some is whether the curious blend of experiences that are provided by a circus—seeing the real animal but observing behaviors that are unnatural and created to entertain rather than to inform—is worth the cost to the animals themselves. For others, if the animals are well-treated, what's wrong with entertainment?

In October 1999, the city council of Redmond, Washington, voted to ban circuses with displays or performances by wild or exotic animals. Other cities that have enacted similar bans are Hollywood, Florida; Takoma Park, Maryland; Quincy, Massachusetts; and Vancouver and Victoria in British Columbia, Canada.

Last February, the City Council of Seattle, Washington, voted 5 to 4 against such a ban. If the council had decided to uphold the ban, Seattle would have been the largest city in the United States to do so. Clearly, the debate over elephants in circuses is not over.

Your Views
Do you think that your community should enact such a ban?

Learn More
Similar issues apply to exotic animals in aquariums (e.g., orca whales). Check out the Riverdeep Today article, "Orcas in Our Midst."