11 Facts about Animals in Entertainment
- "Animals in Entertainment" refers to any animal(s) used to act, perform, fight and/or kill for the enjoyment of humans.
- Asian elephants, the ones in circuses, are endangered in the wild.
- Exotic animals in circuses, such as elephants and tigers, are not bred for return to their native habitat, but rather to provide a steady supply of young animals who are trained to perform.
- Elephants in circuses are chained and unable to move freely for the majority of their lives—sometimes up to 60-100 hours in train boxcars.
- American Humane Film/TV unit monitors the care and protection of animal actors in about 1,000 movies, commercials and TV shows in the US each year.
- That chimpanzee “smile” you see a lot is maybe a grin of fear.
- Both cockfighting and dog fighting, considered entertainment by some, are illegal in all 50 states.
- Children’s rodeo events like goat tying, calf riding and sheep riding (“mutton busting”) do not promote humane care and respect for animals.
- Animal acts and contests, such as donkey basketball and greased pig contests are actually extremely stressful! Can it be a sport if the whole team doesn't know it's playing?
- Large marine mammals often perform in “swim with” programs and theme parks. Many believe it is not possible to meet the complex physical, behavioral and social needs of these animals in captivity.
- “Canned hunts” involve killing animals, many of whom have lost their fear of humans, in a confined area. Now computer-assisted hunting uses the Internet to aim a firearm or bow and arrow to hunt an animal from a remote location.
