JackieMc
Well-Known Member
The other week a Circus came to Dublin - I heard on the radio that people were outside peacefully protesting against the use of animals in this type of 'entertainment'. I shook my head and agreed with the protestors - for a long time now I've been against the use of any animal in a travelling circus, but I've not particularly thought about what goes on 'behind the scenes'.
Tonight I was sitting watching 'Monkey Business' - a great programme about the sanctuary in Dorset (I think) called Monkey World, it's probably a repeat, but this episode dealt with a baby chimp called Trudy who had been owned by Mary Chipperfield (Chipperfield Circus etc.) - I'd seen this little one before, and knew the story behind her 'rescue', but this time they showed the video footage which was captured by Animal Defenders...... Mary Chipperfield beating and beating and kicking this poor little baby, an 18th month old chimp, who was screaming and screaming in terror. It was absolutely horrendous and I cried and cried. Her living conditions were disgraceful, and yet when Mary Chipperfield was found guilty on 12 counts of cruelty to this little chimp, she was only fined. I would have thought she'd have been banned for life from ever keeping animals again. One of her male associates was actually convicted for cruelty to one of her elephants, again continual beating, this time the elephant was actually very ill, but beaten nontheless in order to get it to do a little pirouette!
Anyway, I did a couple of searches on the 'net and found a heap of websites informing people of the cruelty that goes on behind the scenes, whether it be physical or mental. For anyone who still considers an animal circus to be a form of entertainment (and lets hope there aren't too many), and who may be thinking about taking their children to view this barbaric treatment of animals during the summer holidays, I urge you to look at these websites and view the video clips of how the animals are treated whilst undergoing 'training', IT'S NOT PRETTY! If you are upset by animals screaming in pain and cowering in terror whilst being 'trained' for the circus ring - then perhaps you shouldn't view the videos. The one on tv of Mary Chipperfield beating that baby chimp was enough for me.
I don't usually get on my 'soap box' but if I manage to stop just one person from ever visiting an animal circus again, it's been worth all the snivelling I've been doing whilst typing this message. :cry:
http://www.captiveanimals.org/circuses/circus.htm
http://www.circuses.com/
Tonight I was sitting watching 'Monkey Business' - a great programme about the sanctuary in Dorset (I think) called Monkey World, it's probably a repeat, but this episode dealt with a baby chimp called Trudy who had been owned by Mary Chipperfield (Chipperfield Circus etc.) - I'd seen this little one before, and knew the story behind her 'rescue', but this time they showed the video footage which was captured by Animal Defenders...... Mary Chipperfield beating and beating and kicking this poor little baby, an 18th month old chimp, who was screaming and screaming in terror. It was absolutely horrendous and I cried and cried. Her living conditions were disgraceful, and yet when Mary Chipperfield was found guilty on 12 counts of cruelty to this little chimp, she was only fined. I would have thought she'd have been banned for life from ever keeping animals again. One of her male associates was actually convicted for cruelty to one of her elephants, again continual beating, this time the elephant was actually very ill, but beaten nontheless in order to get it to do a little pirouette!
Anyway, I did a couple of searches on the 'net and found a heap of websites informing people of the cruelty that goes on behind the scenes, whether it be physical or mental. For anyone who still considers an animal circus to be a form of entertainment (and lets hope there aren't too many), and who may be thinking about taking their children to view this barbaric treatment of animals during the summer holidays, I urge you to look at these websites and view the video clips of how the animals are treated whilst undergoing 'training', IT'S NOT PRETTY! If you are upset by animals screaming in pain and cowering in terror whilst being 'trained' for the circus ring - then perhaps you shouldn't view the videos. The one on tv of Mary Chipperfield beating that baby chimp was enough for me.
I don't usually get on my 'soap box' but if I manage to stop just one person from ever visiting an animal circus again, it's been worth all the snivelling I've been doing whilst typing this message. :cry:
http://www.captiveanimals.org/circuses/circus.htm
http://www.circuses.com/