Page 30 - PUBLIC SPEAKING_Neat

infected animal at risk of transmission. This means circus animals are highly likely that they
carry the disease which is transmissible to human. Therefore, circus animals especially
elephants can carry a bacterial disease like tuberculosis that is the leading infectious cause of
human deaths worldwide.
Circus animals spend 96% of their lives in tiny cages. This is because circuses are
constantly travelling from city to city and use cages to transport the animals. Circus animals
are always travelling, without any home to go. The animals, most of whom are quite large
and naturally active, are forced to spend most of their lives in these small cages that have
only enough room for the circus animals to stand and turn around. Moreover, most animals
are allowed out of their cages only during the short period when they must perform their
“talent” to entertain the audiences. We can see the proof from one of the circuses that still
mistreat animals, namely UniverSoul Circus. This circus has repeatedly worked with Mitchel
Kalmanson, a big-cat exhibitor who confined big cats to tiny cages that they could not even
move around comfortably which actually repeatedly failed to meet even the minimum
requirements outlined in the Animal Welfare Act. A handler even admitted that the animals
were kept in the tiny cages, for up to seven weeks or even longer. Therefore, the animals
should be wild and free and the circuses which use animals on their shows are mostly used
tiny cages for the animals which are neither their nature nor their habitat, so it is like having
them in prison.
There is a cruelty in training the animals. Why? This is because the physical
punishment used as the standard method of training. The trainers use bull hooks, whips, tight
collars, muzzles, electric prods, and other barbaric tools that are used to physically punish
the animals until they learn to get it right. Out in the wild where animals belong, bears do not
ride bicycles, elephants do not stand on two legs and tigers do not jump through fire which
actually tigers naturally fear fire. These so called “talent” are forced on them, and the way to
train these talents is not friendly at all. Circus animals are forced into doing tricks only to
entertain us for just one hour. In my opinion, the humans are putting themselves at risk,
because they are whipping the animals which are not listening to them. What the humans do
is hurting them and believe me, no one likes getting hurt physically, right? What if the
animals fought back and many people are killed? Who is responsible for their actions?
Somebody? Anybody? Well, many investigators have been able to film secret footage of the
horrific ways. One of them is Carson & Barnes Circus’ head trainer was caught on camera
viciously attacking elephants with a bull hook, shocking them with an electric prod, and
ordering trainers to dig sharp metal hooks into elephants’ flesh until they screamed in agony.
Therefore, I believe that the circuses that are known for having some of the best human talent
around should use willing human performances only and eliminate all animal acts from its
shows.

24 | Public Speaking