Some of you may have gone to see the Ringling Brothers circus this past week as it passed through Raleigh. Circuses have been a staple of childhood for years, with kindergarteners across the country taking field trips to see them every year. In the early nineteenth century, when the United States was a new, developing country with few cities large enough to sustain long-term resident circuses, the European tradition of traveling circuses made the jump across the Atlantic. To reach their widespread public, showmen had few options but to travel light and fast. On account of such extensive traveling, the circus was a global phenomenon long before the concept became commonplace within the country.

Due to how often they travel, circuses have long been held accountable of controversy. Animal rights groups, such as PETA, protest circuses with the argument that they promote animal cruelty. Indeed, there are countless allegations and proven instances against just the Ringling Brothers Circuses alone for the mistreatment of animals during the performance and during the transportation of the show. Elephants have been reported with the most problems against the Ringling Brothers with instances of Tuberculosis, a disease which can be transferred to humans, unauthorized euthanization, and being forced to perform with broken or fractured limbs. Other animals, such as tigers, have had reported cases of being severely injured during transportation, being whipped or beaten, and causing harm to trainers and audience members due to mistreatment.

Declining popularity of these circuses due to the uncovering of these mistreatments has led to the introduction and take off of animal-free circuses such as Cirque du Soleil. Shows that still use the animals as part of the acts are slowly being killed off as more and more people turn to alternatives. Greece became the first European country to ban any animal from performing in any circus within its territory as of February 2012, following a campaign by Animal Defenders International and the Greek Animal Welfare Fund. In America, PETA has pushed repeatedly for legislation banning these shows but has yet to reach an agreement.

  I believe that these shows are outdated and no longer hold any precedence in today’s entertainment market. The abuse and horrible treatment of the animals provide a darker side of the show that makes the viewer feel almost guilty enjoying it. Laws protecting animals from the cruelty inflicted on them need to be taken seriously and carried out the same way. Shows such as Cirque du Soleil have already proven themselves worthy without the need of animals to help the performances. Unless there is major reform within the circuses with focus on these issues, these shows are not the greatest shows on earth.