Elephant Cruelty free essay sample

Elephant Cruelty Explored Through Circuses There is no creature among all the Beasts of the world which hath so great and ample demonstration of the power and wisedom of almighty God as the Elephant. ~Edward Topsell The Historie of Foure-Footed Beastes (1607) Elephants are currently suffering in two distinct ways. They are suffering as a species, and as individuals. The following essay will introduce elephants and their plight as a species, but will focus on the suffering of circus elephants. Circuses are major culprits of elephant exploitation. Elephants in circuses are not cared for properly and often experience abuse. The purpose of this essay is to not only point out these cruelties, but to discuss how we can change the fate of elephants in circuses worldwide. Elephantidae is the familial classification of elephants. There are two distinct species of elephants; the African elephant (Loxodonta arficana) and the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus). In the wild an elephant’s geographical location is synonymous with its name. The habitat of the African elephant is usually a wooded or shrubby area that is near a water source. Asian elephants have a greater range in habitat which can include rain forests, dry forests, and grass jungles. Together, elephants are the largest living terrestrial animals on Earth. Elephants are regarded as highly intelligent and social animals. They live in herds which are lead by the eldest and often the most dominant female elephant called the matriarch. Elephant families provide their members with knowledge, life skills, security, and companionship. Social learning is an important feature of elephants. They learn things like how to forage for food, communicate, play, attract a mate, and protect themselves from watching and the imitating behaviors of other elephants in their herd. Elephants are also well known for the ability to express an array of emotions. Emotions allow elephants to form closer bonds and to communicate with each other on a greater level. In terms of species status, the African elephant is listed as threatened and the Asian elephant as endangered. There are an estimated 400,000 African elephants and 35,000 Asian elephants left in the world[1]. This includes both wild and captive elephants. A species that is listed as endangered is in serious jeopardy of becoming extinct. The title threatened is given to species that are likely to become endangered in the near future. The documented decrease in elephant populations are mostly attributed to loss of natural habitat and the intentional killing of elephants by humans. Expanding human populations have caused encroachment and alterations to lands that were once home to elephants on the continents of Asia and Africa. Overpopulation and the increased competition over resources have created the Human-Elephant conflict. People who live in close proximity to wild elephants are often fearful for the destruction of crops and of personal harm caused by elephant aggression and stampedes. Injuring or killing the elephant in question has been the common response in these types of situations. Elephant conservation organizations like The Amboseli Trust for Elephants are working with African governments and their citizens to spread knowledge and provide economic alternatives to poaching such tourism. [2] Poaching elephants for their ivory tusks is widely banned, but is still a plight of the elephant. It is particularly a serious problem of the African Elephant. Both male and female African elephants have tusks and are susceptible to ivory seeking poachers. Even though plastics have replaced most of the traditional uses of ivory, ivory is still being used to make jewelry and decorative items. There is still a strong underground market for this â€Å"white gold†. A recent increase in the wild African elephant population has revitalized the illegal ivory trade. CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora). is a group of agreements that establish guidelines concerning endangered species and trade on the international level. As an endangered species, the Asian elephant cannot be sold or traded under CITES. CITES does allow private organizations to borrow Asian elephants long-term if it is for conservation and educational purposes[3]. Even with the ratification of CITES, countries like Lao are continuously seeing their â€Å"best and healthiest elephants leave the country†¦ despite existing laws condemning the export of live elephants†[4] Elephant theft is especially frustrating for Laotian conservationists who are trying to restore their native Asian elephant populations. Many of the elephants that appear in circuses worldwide have been illegally captured from the wild. A circus is â€Å"a raveling company of performers that may include acrobats, clowns, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, unicyclists and other stunt-oriented artists†. [5] The general idea of a circus was developed by the Ancient Romans. Animal exhibits, horse races, jugglers, and acrobats were often featured in the outdoor Roman circuses. People of all age s and classes would pay their fair share to see and experience the circus. The modern indoor-circular circus has European roots dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries. The first modern circus was brought to America by the Englishman John Bill Ricketts in 1793. Ricketts’ circus mesmerized the American audience and inspired the development of American circus culture. Many contemporary circuses are revolutionizing circus tradition by focusing less on animal exhibition and animal acts. They are embracing more of an artistic performance style that does not include actual animals. Cirque du Soleil is a popular example of a contemporary circus that mixes art, theater, and music with aerobatics and other aerial stunts. Though these new types of circuses are emerging, the traditional traveling animal circus still exists worldwide. The longer animal circuses exist, the longer the suffering circus animals will have to endure. The mistreatment of elephants in circuses can be discussed through the categories of training, performance, and housing. It is important to emphasize that elephants are wild animals. In order to become semi-domesticated, elephants must undergo what is called the â€Å"breaking-in† process. [6] The objective of the â€Å"breaking-in† is to get the elephant to respect and submit to the trainer. This process can include the use of physical force, hooks, and threat of starvation to tame the elephant. Elephants born in captivity do not usually experience or require this type of â€Å"breaking-in†. These elephants are preconditioned to enclosed environments and human interactions. No matter how much training or conditioning an elephant receives, it still has wild tendencies and instincts. Trainers use positive and negative reinforcement to control an elephant’s behavior. Positive reinforcement could be rewarding an elephant with apple slices when it performs a trick properly. Negative reinforcement uses punishment as a deterrent for undesired behaviors. If an elephant is punished for disobeying a command, the elephant will likely be more compliant the next time the trainer orders a command. Trainers who use negative reinforcement are usually unskilled or impatient and may punch, pull or a whack an elephant with a bull hook or a whip. Electrical shocks are also administered as a form of punishment. All of these methods of punishment are painful and unnecessary. Desired results can be reached through positive reinforcement. Elephants also experience a great deal of pain and discomfort when performing certain tricks. These tricks include handstands, standing on hind legs, and tight rope walking. These are unnatural elephant behaviors. A grown elephant can weigh anywhere from 5,000-15,000 lbs[7]. Its massive weight is spread out and supported by four legs. When an elephant does a handstand or stands on its hind legs it is putting an enormous amount of pressure on one or two of its legs. Whiling performing these types of tricks, an elephant is risking serious leg injury and other additional injuries if it was to topple over. Elephants belonging to a circus are usually housed individually in rooms no larger than the average American bedroom. 8] For safety and convenience reasons, elephants are chained for the majority of the day when they are not performing. These chains are highly restrictive and can cause body lacerations if an elephant tries to free himself. Circus elephants are isolated from other elephants and confined to spaces that are way too small for them. This is not appropriate since ele phants are a mobile and social species. In the wild elephants can spend up to twenty- two hours a day moving around whether it’s foraging for food, exploring, or socializing with other elephants[9]. Elephants in circuses are unable to fulfill these simple needs and desires. Confinement and isolation is a serious elephant welfare concern. Elephants in captivity tend to exhibit abnormal behaviors and can develop psychological disorders. Documented abnormal behaviors include swaying, pacing, hyper aggression, and sometimes the killing of infant elephants. [10] Elephants that experience abuse can develop Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Posttraumatic Stress Disorder occurs when an individual is exposed to a traumatic event and persistently re-experiences the event. PSD may explain events in which elephants have lashed out and harmed their trainers or people in the audience. Mental anguish is not just a human experience. Elephants can suffer from both physical and mental abuse. To expand upon the condition of elephants in circuses, this issue must be examined from a multicultural prospective. Cultural norms determine animal welfare laws and generally accepted practices of animal use. How one society perceives and treats animals is often different from that of another society. Here we will look at animal circuses and the standards for animal welfare in China, the United States, and in the United Kingdom. By observing the practices of these countries, a broad picture of how various regions in the world relate and think of non-human animals can be created. Understanding existing laws and customs is important in working with governments and citizens to adopt stricter animal cruelty and welfare laws. The Chinese circus is an ancient art from that is believed to be at least 2,000 years old[11]. Chinese circuses are a part of a rich tradition that is generational. Most Chinese circuses are operated by a single family. These circuses can include live animal acts, but the focus is usually on acrobatic acts and dance performances. The animals that do appear in Chinese circuses are prone to mistreatment and abuse. At the moment China does not have any type of national animal protection law. This means that there are no legal welfare requirements for housing, feeding, transportation, veterinarian care and general care for circus animals, including elephants. The article titled â€Å"Does China Need an Animal Protection Law† addresses the current efforts of Chinese law experts in drafting China’s first national animal protection law. Most importantly, this article discusses the challenges that these lawyers are facing in creating such a law. The conflict facing the adoption of an animal protection law in China can be described as the East versus the West. The East versus the West is a situational and ideological conflict that tends to occur when western thought is introduced or forced into an eastern state. The following quote best explains the present conflict in China regarding animal welfare: â€Å"Some people believe it’s absolutely necessary to punish those who abuse animals, while others believe that animal protection is something only developed countries can afford to consider. [12] The belief that human protection needs to be achieved before animal protection is a reasonable claim. In the last couple of decades, China has experienced rapid growth in their economy. Unfortunately, social progress has not kept up with economic progress. Basic rights and availability of social welfare resources is not guaranteed everywhere in China. People who live in remote locations are often impoverished and have not seen the benefits that people living in the developed cities have seen. Animal cruelty may not be a priority for someone who lacks food, clean water, and shelter. This type of law would also be problematic for people following traditional Chinese customs involving animals. An animal protection law could make many current animal practices in China illegal overnight. Putting these problems aside, China is making some progress in terms of animal welfare. This past June a survey regarding animal welfare was given to Chinese citizens. The results revealed that eighty percent of the respondents supported a basic animal protection law, and seventy-five percent agreed that people who abuse animals to death should go to jail. [13] The credibility of this survey could be questioned. The article does not mention who created the survey, and which populations of people were given the survey. If this survey is representative of the China as a whole, it is hopeful that China will be able to adopt a national animal protection law in the near future. In the beginning of 2010, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development in China put a ban on all animal acts in zoos and wildlife parks. [14] This ban came after a report was published by the animal advocate organization called Animals Asia. The report highlighted numerous instances of severe animal abuse and what they describe as horrific living conditions. The increasing number of exposes and reports by animal advocacy groups have brought attention to animal abuse in China and aided in the creation of bans such as the one mentioned above. Although the Chinese ban on animal performances in zoos and safari parks is a step in the right direction, it does not protect animals in circuses. Elephants will continue to be exploited until the ban is extended to circuses. The first purchase and exhibition of an elephant in the United States occurred in 1808. [15] After this date, elephants became a central component of American circuses. By 1952, a hundred and twenty-four elephants belonged to circuses. Many of the first elephants imported to this country did not live long. An inadequate understanding of elephants as a species contributed to many of these early elephant deaths. The lack of a formal animal welfare law may have also been a factor. The United States passed the Animal Welfare Act in 1n 1966. This act regulates the treatment of animals in research, exhibition and transport. â€Å"Persons who have warmblooded animals on display, animals that perform for the public, or animals used in educational resentations, must be licensed as exhibiters† with the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APIS)[16]. The U. S. Department of Agriculture regulates AWA and APIS. The Animal Welfare Act requires exhibiters to provide adequate care and treatment for their animals. Requirements for specific animals are not listed under AWA. The APIS has an inspection guide that is useful for both inspectors and animal e xhibiters. Elephants have species specific requirements. An elephant must have access to a pool or pond, be free from dry skin and skin wounds, and be able to move and lie down comfortably if chained. 17] The U. S. Animal Welfare Act is vague in many areas. What counts as elephant abuse is one of these areas. Until recently, the AWA has not mentioned anything about the use of bull hooks on elephants. Bull hooks are tools used as negative enforcers. These hooks tear at an elephants delicate skin, causing them much pain. In 2009, PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) brought the owners of the Ringling Bros. Circus to court. PETA argued that Ringling Bros. violated the Endangered Species Act by using bull hooks on endangered Asian elephants[18]. The judge who presided in this case agreed that bull hooks cause unnecessary pain to elephants, but ruled that PETA did not have standing. Even though PETA lost this case, bull hooks have been prohibited by an amendment to AWA. Elephants in American circuses will no longer suffer at the hand of a bull hook. This is a small, but notable win for elephant welfare on the federal level. PETA v. Ringling Bros has more noticeably sparked action by local governments. Shortly after this ruling, New York City officials voted in support to prohibit â€Å"the display of wild or exotic animals for public entertainment or amusement[19]†. This decision means that elephants will no longer be parading through New York City. Local governments in the United States are the clear legislative leaders in an elephant protection and performance ban A significant portion of elephant suffering is from the inability to carry out instinctual behaviors. The Animal Welfare Act does not incorporate a mental wellbeing requirement in its text. This is highly problematic for animals such as elephants, dolphins, chimpanzees, and whales which have greater intellectual and emotional capacities than most other non-human animals. If the AWA was amended to include a mental wellbeing component, it is likely that a federal ban on elephants would follow. The current practices and environment created by circuses cannot support an elephant’s mental health. This is evident in the abnormal behaviors displayed by most elephants in circuses. Elephants reappeared in English entertainment in early 2009. Before this 2009 show, elephant acts had not been performed in the United Kingdom for nearly a decade. [20] The Great British Circus received much criticism when it announced that it would be bringing elephants back into their line-up. Elephant acts have not been formally outlawed by the British government, but it is a common opinion that they should be. Like the United States, the United Kingdom has an Animal Welfare Act. The United Kingdom did not pass an official animal welfare law until 2006. Prior to the U. K. ’s AWA, animal owners had the â€Å"duty of care†. Duty of care is a common law term that is legally binding[21]. It specifically refers to the responsibility of the owner to ensure that their animal does not suffer unnecessarily. The U. K. ’s Animal Welfare Act is much more specific in respects to how animal must be cared more, and how it cannot be treated. This Act says that an animals’ welfare needs includes, â€Å"a suitable environment, a suitable diet, the ability to exhibit normal behaviour patterns, and protection from pain, suffering, injury and disease†[22]. The U. K. based animal advocacy group Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) does not believe that circuses can uphold the standards set by the U. K. ’s Animal Welfare Act. [23] A representative of the Great British Circus told the BBC news that the trainers use only their voice to get the elephants to follow commands. This statement neglects the other components of the Animal Welfare Act. Word of voice does not matter if an elephant is being held in a small trailer. The United Kingdom’s comprehensive definition of animal welfare makes it nearly impossible for a circus to have elephants. In December of 2009, the U. K. ’s Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs consulted the public on the matter of wild animals in circuses. Defra asked the public to answer questions that would help the government in determining if they should ban all wild or exotic animal acts altogether. The first question in the survey reads, â€Å"Do you think that there are any species of wild animal which is acceptable to use in traveling circuses? . Out of 100%, 95. 5% of persons responding to this question said no[24]. China, the United States, and the United Kingdom represent separate sections of the world. Government laws along with public opinion can place these three countries on an animal welfare spectrum. Being ranked from the most protective to the least protective is the U. K, U. S, and China. The United Kingdom like most of Western Europe has very high standards for animal welfare and the environment. The United States falls in the middle because it disregards the mental aspects of animal cruelty which is a critical in species like elephants. At the moment China does not have any sort of formal animal protection law. This is why I have ranked China as number three. The United States should be heavily scrutinized in regards to our treatment of elephants. Entertainment is not a valid excuse for animal abuse. The lifelong suffering of a circus elephant cannot be justified. There is a lot of cruelty that is hiding behind the tent curtains of circuses. Now that this cruelty has been exposed, it is imperative that people react and act. Acting can be avoiding animal circuses, protesting, donating time or money to animal advocacy groups, or meeting with government representatives. If people do not act, elephant cruelty will remain among us. Works Cited About ATE. Amboseli Trust for Elephants. 2010. Web. . Animal Exhibitors. USDA APHIS. July 2003. Web. . Animal Welfare Act 2006. Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs. 12 Feb. 2010. Web. . Animal Welfare. USDA APHIS. Nov. 2004. Web. . BBC NEWS | UK | England | Nottinghamshire | Anger over Elephants Circus Show. BBC News Home. 27 Feb. 2009. Web. . Bradshaw, G. A. Elephants in Circuses: Analysis of Practice, Policy and Future. 2007. Web. . Chinese Circus. British Born Chinese. Web. Colwell, Jessica. China Bans Animal Performances, Elephants Breath Easier Shanghaiist. Shanghaiist: News, Music, Nightlife, Restaurants, Events and More in Shanghai, China. 27 Oct. 2010. Web. . Forthman, Debra L. , Lisa F. Kane, and Paul F. Waldau. An Elephant in the Room: the Science and Well-being of Elephants in Captivity. North Grafton, MA: Tufts Center for Animals and Public Policy, 2009. Print. Lee, Jennifer . Should Circus Elephants Be Banned? The New York Times. 23. Mar. 2009. Web. http://cityroom. blogs. nytimes. com/2009/03/26/should-circus-be-banned, MacGregor, Fiona. To the Circus: Conservationists Warn of Elephant Exodus from Laos†. Guardian. co. uk. 10 Aug. 2010. Web. . Shigong, Li. Does China Need an Animal Protection Law? Beijing Review. 06 Nov. 2009. Web. . Sims, Paul. Animal Welfare Charity Slams Plans for Elephant Circus Act†. 23 Feb. 2009. Web. . Trial Reveals Extreme Elephant Abuse by Ringling Bros. Circus. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA): The Animal Rights Organization | PETA. org. Web. . [1] Elephants in Circuses: Analysis of Practice, Policy and Future. [2] Amboseli Trust for Elephants 3] To the Circus: Conservationists Warn of Elephant Exodus from Laos†. [4] Ibd p. 1 [5] Elephants in Circuses: Analysis of Practice, Policy and Future. [6] Trial Reveals Extreme Elephant Abuse by Ringling Bros. Circus. [7] An Elephant in the Ro om: the Science and Well-being of Elephants in Captivity. p. 3 [8] â€Å"Elephants in Circuses: Analysis of Practice, Policy and Future. [9] An Elephant in the Room: the Science and Well-being of Elephants in Captivity. p. 7 [10] An Elephant in the Room: the Science and Well-being of Elephants in Captivity. p. 56 [11] Chinese Circus. 12] Does China Need an Animal Protection Law? p. 1 [13] Does China Need an Animal Protection Law? [14] China Bans Animal Performances, Elephants Breath Easier† [15] Elephants in Circuses: Analysis of Practice, Policy and Future. [16] Animal Welfare. [17] Animal Exhibitors. [18] Trial Reveals Extreme Elephant Abuse by Ringling Bros. Circus. [19] Should Circus Elephants Be Banned? [20] Animal Welfare Charity Slams Plans for Elephant Circus Act†. [21] Animal Welfare Act 2006. [22] Animal Welfare Act 2006. [23] â€Å"Anger over Elephants Circus Show. [24] www. defra. gov. uk