Circus Animal Welfare: analysis through a five-domain approach

Mota-Rojas, Daniel; Ghezzi, Marcelo Daniel; Domínguez-Oliva, Adriana; Vega, Leonardo Thielo de La; Boscato-Funes, Luciano; Torres-Bernal, Fabiola; Mora-Medina, Patricia

doi:10.31893/jabb.22021

Cited by 9 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 0 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Holistic reviews on the welfare of animals in circuses often make inferences from research conducted in zoos [19,24]. The captive environments are similar in terms of imposing limitations on the physical environment, diet, access to healthcare, and enforced social interactions.…”

Section: The Welfare Of Tigers Within Circusesmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Welfare Implications for Tigers in Travelling Circuses

Davies,

Knight

2024

Animals

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

There are very few studies that have focused on species-specific welfare implications for tigers in a travelling circus. The absence of scientific evidence to inform nationwide legislation means that tigers are still commonly used in travelling circuses across the world. A systematic review of relevant published studies was conducted using the bibliographic databases Web of Science and Scopus, supplemented by a narrative search. In total, 42 relevant studies were identified that assessed the welfare of tigers in captivity, including circuses and zoos. Only eight papers assessed the welfare implications for tigers in circuses directly, evidencing the lack of research in this area. Given that circuses provide a sub-optimal environment compared to zoos, implications for tiger welfare were also inferred from zoo research, within the Five Domains framework. Collectively, these papers infer that the travelling nature of a circus often negatively impacts the welfare domains of nutrition, physical environment, health, and mental state. This is due to limitations in enclosure size, as well as in both environmental and behavioural enrichment. There is also often difficulty in sourcing appropriate food and specialised routine veterinary care. The literature is divided concerning behavioural interactions, specifically whether training can improve welfare by offering mental stimulation. However, circus performances are often associated with negative welfare due to noise disruption from spectators. The collective scientific evidence indicates that tigers are not well suited to circus living, due to the inability of a travelling circus to provide for their species-specific psychological, physiological, and behavioural needs.

show abstract

Section: The Welfare Of Tigers Within Circusesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The nutrition domain assesses welfare based on the availability of food and water and the suitability of nutrition [24]. Whilst the availability of clean water is relatively easy to control within captivity, the difference between wild and captive diets is a major limitation of captive environments.…”

Section: Nutritionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Welfare Implications for Tigers in Travelling Circuses

Davies,

Knight

2024

Animals

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Circuses with animal acts appeared in Great Britain in the late 18th century, an activity that, at the beginning of the 19th century, was replicated by many other countries, including countries in America [235]. While they may employ domesticated animals, they often utilize wild species that are confined in wagons during transport and in cages before their acts [236,237]. This means that their natural behaviors are constrained, and their diets modified.…”

Section: Circusesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Controversial Topics in Animal Welfare in Latin America: A Focus on the Legislation Surrounding the Human-Companion Animal Relationship and Animals Used for Recreational Practices

Mota-Rojas

Strappini

Whittaker

et al. 2023

Animals

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Animal welfare is a societally relevant issue that is globally attracting increased attention. This is in addition to the importance placed on welfare for the animals themselves. However, the content and application of laws protecting animals’ welfare vary across countries. In Latin America, there are a range of common practices or activities involving certain animal species, many of which are legal, that can impair an animal’s quality of life. These include the performance of aesthetic surgical procedures; bull-, cock-, and dog fighting; and the existence of circuses that exhibit animals. The extent and impact of these practices being dependent on the socioeconomic, cultural, territorial, and regulatory landscape of each country. Particularly, Ibero-American regions face welfare challenges that might be influenced by traditions and relevant legal gaps. The objective of this article is to review controversial practices carried out in companion and entertainment animals in Latin America, with a focus on legal aspects, as well as the current efforts being made to address and incorporate global welfare standards into domestic and wild animal practice and regulation.

show abstract

“…However, animal circuses are a debatable practice that can reduce their welfare and expose them to multiple mental and health states. Therefore, regular investigations of the animal health status of the circus animals would contribute to keeping them safe in their life (Mota-Rojas et al, 2022).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%