Animal Circuses News

Find below local Australian news and other circus related stories. These stories are sourced from external newspapers, government websites, and other third parties. All care is taken to ensure the accuracy. Please refer to the source (listed with each story) for further information.

In another cage a monkey chews on a bit of grass it picked up through the bars. But in eight hours it will be showtime and these animals will be centre stage as one of the main attractions. These lions are the opening act at Stardust Circus - one of the few circuses in Australia to use exotic animals. The RSPCA is calling for a state-wide ban on exotic animals in circuses and wants to make its campaign an election issue. The RSPCA's concerns are not directed at the treatment of the animals, which meet the requirements of the National Circus Standards, but against all use of lions and monkeys in circuses because the requirements of circus life are not compatible with the physiological, social and behavioural needs of these sorts of animals. Start of sidebar. Skip to end of sidebar. End of sidebar. Return to start of sidebar. Should circuses with exotic animals be banned? Tell us below Already 40 councils around Australia have banned circuses with exotic animals from council-owned land. But in the North Coast town of Lismore, Stardust Circus owners have found a loophole in the council's policy and are holding their circus on privately owned land. Jan Lennon, who owns Stardust Circus with her husband Lindsay, said they had worked with lions for the past 40 years and could not understand why people wanted them banned from circuses. "We look after the animals and treat them as part of the family," Mrs Lennon said. "We are trying to keep the traditional circuses alive, people expect to see them." Mrs Lennon said they had started their own petition this year and had about 10,000 people sign their support for exotic animals in circuses. "They are free to judge for themselves," she said. "We are on show 24 hours a day - we have nothing to hide." Mrs Lennon said they had large lion enclosures which were not much smaller than those at zoos. "These animals are born and bred in captivity, they don't know what the wild is like," Mrs Lennon said. The lions slept for 20 hours a day and did not need to be entertained, she said, while the monkeys had swings to amuse themselves, she said. RSPCA spokesman Mark Bond said performing circus animals were kept for prolonged periods in close confinement, in artificial social groups and were continually being transported between circus venues for the duration of their performing lives. "The life of a circus animal leads to stress and boredom," Mr Bond said. Animal rights activist and researcher Barry Spurr said state and federal governments should follow the lead of other countries such as Austria and legislate to ban the use of exotic animals in circuses

	PETA exposes Ringling Bros Cruelty Thanks to PETA's ongoing campaign against documented appalling abuse of elephants in Ringling Bros Circus - 'the saddest show on earth' as PETA rightly calls it - the largest circus in the US has been compelled to answer charges for routinely beating elephants with bullhooks. (PETA has videotaped lame elephants limping out of Ringling's train cars.) Source: View full story
	Bolivia first country in the world to ban wild and domestic animals from travelling circuses Animal Defenders International (ADI) is delighted that Bolivia’s President Evo Morales has signed a new law to end the use of wild and domestic animals in travelling circuses. Source: Animal Defenders website View full story
	Time to end this exotic circus farce A LION sits looking forlorn in a cage while its companions pace up and down, menaced by dogs teasing them outside their enclosure. Source: Daily Telegraph View full story
	Ipswich City Council Bans Circuses with Exotic Animals Local councillor Paul Tully said the council had voted 6:5 to support a ban, making Ipswich the first council in Queensland to outlaw circuses with exotic animals. Source: Animals Australia View full story
	Lismore Council cracks the whip on circuses Lismore City Council will send a clear message that cruelty to animals will not be tolerated in the shire after they voted 6/3 to ban animal circuses from Council-owned land. Source: The Northern Rivers Echo View full story
	Circus elephant in the middle of jumbo row A jumbo-sized dispute has broken out over the living conditions of New Zealand's only circus elephant. Source: stuff.co.nz View full story
	Driver dies as bus hits escaped circus elephant A BUS has crashed into an escaped circus elephant on a highway in Mexico, killing both the vehicle's driver and the unfortunate animal. Source: news.com.au View full story
	60 Minutes - The Sanctuary They're remarkable creatures. Social, intelligent, at times, very human. And just like humans, elephants experience many complex emotions. Which makes our heartless treatment of these beautiful animals all the more confounding. Hunting them to extinction, forcing them to perform in circuses, locking them up in zoos. Source: 60 Minutes View full story
	Protestors urge city council to ban circus AN animal welfare group have urged Derry City Council to consider banning animal circuses from performing in the city. Source: Londonderry Sentinel View full story
	Auckland City Council applauded for Rodeo Ban Rodeos are no longer welcome in New Zealand’s largest city. Source: Animal Circuses View full story
	Music Video made about Topsy the Elephant who was purposely electrocuted to death Award winning Australian animator makes a music video about the tragic story of Topsy The Circus Elephant who was deliberately electrocuted in 1903. Source: email View full story
	Elephant, camels freed with Jaws of Life What animals have to endure for our entertainment: Three circus animals had to be rescued by volunteer firefighters after the transport truck carrying them overturned. Source: CTV.ca View full story
	Circus Lawsuit Moves Forward Animal activists have a new reason to complain about how the circus treats its elephants and other animals. A federal judge says the animal groups can now move forward with a blockbuster lawsuit. Click here to hear an interview Source: George Knapp, Chief Investigative Reporter View full story
	CAMDEN Circuses face exotic animal ban CAMDEN Deputy Mayor Cindy Cagney will ask the council to seek a report on banning from the area circuses using wild and exotic animals. Source: Macarthur Chronicle View full story
	ADI: Peru set to lead South America with animal circus ban A year after launching a devastating exposé of the treatment of animals in circuses in South America, Animal Defenders International (ADI) stands on the brink of securing legislation to end this shocking abuse in Peru and Bolivia. Source: Politics.co.uk View full story
	Elephant kills three in India temple rampage A WOMAN was among three people killed as an elephant ran amok at a temple. Source: Daily Telegraph View full story
	Circus Whitewash The British government's failure to end cruelty to circus animals makes a mockery of the Animal Welfare Act Source: The Guardian View full story
	ASPCA demands cancellation of TV’S Greatest Show on Earth The ASPCA has urged Turner Network Television (TNT) to immediately cancel Greatest Show on Earth, its upcoming series that touts a “behind-the-scenes” look at the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. Source: ASPCA www.aspca.org View full story
	Stardust Circus Trainer killed by elephant Forensic evidence shows that Arna the Circus Elephant crushed a worker to death. Source: news.com.au (Daily Telegraph) View full story
	Cork City Council against Animal Circuses Cork City Council passes a motion to BAN animal act circuses from using council land Source: Animal Rights Action Network (www.aran.ie) View full story
	ARNA and Gigi to be retired to Western Plains Zoo Arna and Gigi are leaving Stardust Circus and living out the rest of their lives in peace at Taronga Western Plains Zoo. Source: www.zoo.nsw.gov.au (Taronga Zoo) View full story
	No Ban for Port Stephens Port Stephens Council voted 4-7 against the ban on circuses with exotic animals. Source: Port Stephens Examiner View full story
	Animal Circus Ban in Fingal Fingal County Council supports the ban of circuses which use wild animals Source: Independent.ie National News View full story
	Lion Tamer Mauled THREE lions attacked their trainer in front of a packed family audience at a Lennon Bros Circus show at Penrith Source: Rod Smith, www.news.com.au, circuswatchwa.org View full story