For many, the circus is fun, safe entertainment families and children can enjoy. For all of us who have been educated on the mistreatment of their performing animals, we would say that the circus is far from being the greatest show on earth.

As an animal lover, and animal rights activist, I feel it is my duty to inform the uninformed public what the circus does not want us to know: The dark, horrifying truth of what really goes on behind the scenes.

We have all been amazed by the circus’ ability to train ferocious tigers to jump through hoops, 7,000-pound elephants to stand on two legs, large bears to ride unicycles? But how exactly did these naturally, wild animals learn to be so obedient? Only a training method stronger than the animals themselves could have been used.

The truth is, these innocent animals are unwillingly forced to perform night, after night, after night. While circuses may claim that these tricks are natural, and performed in their natural habitat, we all know elephants don’t just stand on their heads in the wild. Many of the tricks they are taught are unnatural, and even painful for these creatures.

Trainers will use bull hooks (a 2-3 foot long stick with a sharp metal attached at the top), or other instruments to beat, hit, poke, strike, and shock these animals until they obey (these are not the only ways they are physically beaten).

Baby elephants are separated from their mothers at an extremely young age, to be “trained” to perform for the circus. Meanwhile, in the wild, they do not stop feeding from their mother’s until they are roughly four years old.

The circus spends eleven months of the year traveling.

The conditions in which the animals are kept during the traveling periods are astonishing and simply cruel. Elephants are squeezed in, side-by-side, chained to the leg. Because there is minimal space, it is almost impossible for them to lie down. If they are lucky to be able to lie down, they are left to lie in their own waste with no food or water for many consecutive hours.

This not only goes for the elephants, but for all of the circus animals. In their own natural habitats, these precious creatures are born free, roam freely, rest, and feed as often as they need to.

Is it right for us, as the audience, to keep on paying the circus to promote this unfair and disgusting abuse? Do you think children should be attending these events, when we now know what goes on under the big top? Shouldn’t we, as conscious citizens put an end to this cruelty?

The self-proclaimed “Greatest Show on Earth”, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey, will be performing, here, in Sacramento from September 11 to September 14.

We may not be able to put a stop to this unfortunate situation right away, but there are many things we can do to help. Most importantly, DO NOT ATTEND A CIRCUS THAT USES ANIMALS.

Inform your family, friends and anybody you can about the abuse that goes on in the circus. Write letters to your local newspapers and television stations or anywhere that may get awareness to the public. Become an advocate.

As P.T. Barnum once said, “There is a sucker born every minute.” Do not let yourselves become one of Barnum’s so-called “suckers”.

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