Call to Ban the use of Animals In Circuses in India

India has already banned dolphins in captivity, so it looks promising that we

could also have a voice for the elephants and other animals. Please share this

petition with as many people as you can and we will make attempt to make

animals in circuses a thing of the past in India.

Elephants and other animals are subjected to chronic confinement, physical abuse and psychological torment. Prods and ankuses, which are heavy rods with a sharp steel hook at the end, are routinely used to inflict pain on elephants and beat them into submission. Animals are forced to perform confusing, unnatural tricks not because they want to but out of fear of violent punishment. When they're not being forced to perform, elephants are kept chained and can barely take a step in any direction.

This petition is about the widespread abuse and neglect of animals in the circus industry throughout India. Please sign and help make this torture stop. 

FULL CIRCUS INVESTIGATION VIDEO BY PETA HERE  

WARNING THIS VIDEO CONTAINS UPSETTING IMAGES. 

Elephants are highly intelligent and social animals. In nature, they spend approximately 18 hours a day walking, foraging for food, bathing in water holes and interacting with other elephants, and females live in close-knit family groups for life. 

Circuses are not wildlife sanctuaries and therefore cannot have the necessary infrastructure to maintain elephants. Even if the elephants are given adequate food and water, circuses can never come close to providing for their vast and complex natural needs and ending their frustration over not being able to roam, select partners, socialise in herds, forage for food, care for young or engage in other natural behaviour.

Under the circumstances of a Circus - cruelty is inherent in the “business”. Further, fear, pain and distress are used to force the elephants to perform. 

Recent news reports also state that public interest in circuses is dying rapidly. It is assumed that decreased funds would subsequently have a direct impact on the care, management and welfare of animals. 

An immediate end to the use of elephants and all other animals in circuses is needed immediately. 

Recommendations 

1. All animals used by circuses in India must be deregistered immediately. 

2. No new animals should be registered to circuses. 

3. Performance and exhibition of all animals who are old, visually impaired, with serious injuries or diseased should be stopped immediately, and they should be rescued and rehabilitated immediately. 

4. Elephants must be added to the list of animals prohibited from performance under Section 22 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960. 

5. Since circuses are classified under zoo collections per The Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, the CZA is asked to confirm a ban on the use of elephants in circuses by enforcing its circular dated 7 November 2009, which bans the keeping of elephants in zoos because of the lack of adequate space in zoos, the chaining of elephants by zoos for long hours, the threat to visitors and the financial liability of zoo management.

Please consider the welfare of these elephants. Some elephants aged upto 60 are being made to perform and stand in shackles all day with arthiritis and infections. Others as young as 2 years old are being made to perform and being violently beaten. 

Please do something about this urgently.  

A list of circuses in India investigated for Animal Cruelty 

• Amar Circus (Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra)

• Gemini Circus (Chennai, Tamil Nadu)

• Great Bombay Circus (Pitampura, New Delhi)

• Great Golden Circus (Jamnagar, Gujarat)

• Great Prabhath Circus (New Yelahanka Town,

Bengaluru, Karnataka)

• Jamuna Circus* (Warangal and Khammam, Andhra Pradesh)

• Jumbo Circus (Unit 1) (Ahmedabad, Gujarat and

Ranebennur, Karnataka)

• Jumbo Circus (Unit 2) (Channarayapatna, Karnataka)

• Kohinoor Circus (Ramganj, West Bengal)

• Moonlight Circus (Dahanu, Maharashtra)

• Rajkamal Circus (Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala)

• Rambo Circus (Pimpri, Pune, Maharashtra)

• SAM Circus (Guntur, Andhra Pradesh)

• The Great Royal Circus (Bandra, Mumbai, Maharashtra)

Animals in circuses are routinely chained, beaten and denied everything that is natural and important to them – all for a lifetime of cheap tricks.

The Indian government need to follow the lead of Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cyprus and Greece and ban all animals from circuses. The Karnataka government are also urged to ban the use of animals in circuses in the state. 

Please help spread the word and share this petition to your friends and family so that this abuse becomes widely known and action can be taken to end animals being forced to perform for human entertainment. Animals deserve to be treated with respect. They do not have a voice so it is up to us to protest to make a positive change for the future.