On Saturday, 3rd of October, we went to the State Circus of Hungary called Fővárosi Nagycirkusz. The last weeks we have seen their wide spread advertisement for their new programme called “Balance“, which displays only artistic entertainment. Therefore, we were very surprised to see one show including cats, a dog and a female lion and another show including six male lions. In former programmes they also made use of elephants, horses and tigers. The animals were clearly in a bad condition, one of the cats was running in circles in its cage, the lions’ fur looked unhealthy and they seemed strongly frightened of punishment. We were shocked!

Consequently, we did some research:

The scientists Iossa, Soulsbury, and Harris explain how most of the circus animals live. Most of the day they are locked into small cages, about 1-9% of the day they have to perform or train, and the remaining time they are in exercising pens. Their behavioural patterns are severely restricted especially when they are shackled or confined. Moreover, circus animals often receive an inadequate diet which together with their poor housing conditions, and the effects of repeated performances can lead to significant health problems. Additionally, they travel often which results in noise and movements that are crucial stressors for them. The animals used by Fővárosi Nagycirkusz such as lions, dogs, or elephants actually need a lot of space, have complex social structures, high cognitive function, and need special ecological requirements which a circus cannot offer them.

The scholars Shani and Pizam support this kind of view. The cages are often as small as 4 x 5 x 6 feet (1.2 x 1.5 x 1.8 metre) for a tiger, which is barely enough to stand up and turn around. Moreover, animals have to perform under threat of punishment or food deprivation, which was clearly visible with the male lions used at Fővárosi Nagycirkusz. The lions were frightened of the animal trainer when he approached them with his long stick. At Fővárosi Nagycirkusz, six male lions were performing together which is a rather unnatural behaviour to them in nature. Only during their “teenage times”, when looking for their own pride, they group together with other related male lions. Most of the time, they live alone surrounded by only females. Hence, keeping six males lions together is against their natural instinct.  

Next to the fact that the animals themselves are maltreated, the practice of using animals in circuses also conveys a wrong image to children watching those. The Italian researcher Pagani studied school children and their behaviour and feelings towards animals in Italy. The vast majority of participants (77%) were against the use of animals in circuses, which reveals that most of the children and adolescents are well aware of the psychological and physical needs of animals. Further, it also shows that they are empathetic towards animals. Most children know that wild animals should live in their natural environment and that they are not happy when they live in cages and are forced to learn useless, complex, and unnatural behaviours, which humiliate their dignity and intelligence. This behaviour is and has to be both fostered by schools and parents.

Likewise, Pagani describes taking children to circuses with animals as a “dangerous habit”. Circuses exhibit violence against animals as normal and legitimate because they see wild animals that do not freely display their specific natural characteristics. Often those animals are reduced to artificial creatures and their stereotypes. Children experience these exhibitions as a message of abuse perpetrated by humans against weaker individuals. This can be very dangerous for them because it can have an inevitable effect on their relationships towards both animals and human beings. Children might conclude that it is okay to abuse weaker ones. Circuses that use animals can thus strengthen the phenomenon of “desensitization to violence” in children. On the other hand, also the children’s confidence in adults can decline by observing animals in circuses. They might experience the animal trainers as adults who are mean, violent, and abusing, which can have a negative effect on the child’s socialisation process.

When we went to Fővárosi Nagycirkusz roughly one third of the audience were children. We went to the evening show so one can assume that there are even more at the afternoon show.

As Fővárosi Nagycirkusz is one of the biggest circuses in Europe it has got a massive role model function. It should be a good example for other entertainment facilities not to mistreat animals. Moreover, Fővárosi Nagycirkusz contracts incredibly skilled and talented artists that they can easily survive without the use of animals! The Netherlands lead by example in banning animals completely from circuses.

For the reasons mentioned so far, we demand that József Richter, the director of Fővárosi Nagycirkusz to ban all animals from his circus!

Jelena Gregorius and Bettina Blawert 

(The picture above is an example from another circus, this and more pictures and videos can be found on: http://mediathek.peta.de/de/c?id=166)