Tag: circus

How Are Circus Lions and Tigers Trained? If you love the big cats, you won't like the truth about how lions and tigers are trained to perform. First of all, it's important to note that the Animal Welfare Act allows the use of electrical shock prods to "train" animals. Since it's not illegal to shock a lion or tiger to force it to perform, it's seldom recorded (hence the lack of data on the subject). This op-ed article was written by a circus patron who claims that she saw a tiger at the Royal Hanneford circus being shocked with a cattle prod until it could no longer stand. According to this website (which has a lot of details on captive big cat incidents in Australia), in 1989, "Moscow", a tiger who had been reared by Australia's Ashton Circus since birth, escaped from his cage and mauled the lion keeper. He "...was eventually recaptured by circus hands using tent poles, cattle prods and a rope tied to his tail." This book, The Secret Life of Sigfried & Roy about the inner workings of Sigfried & Roy nonchalantly details their use of cattle prods to electrify the cage floors of "Leo", the MGM Lion. Here's an excerpt, about an incident when a frustrated Leo bit Sigfried's arm during a show. "As part of the show, Sigfried always staged a pretend-fight with Leo, getting the lion to growl... ...When opened the cage, Leo stood immobile, static as a stuffed toy. As the lion stood silent, Sigfried used slightly more force, prodding the cat to play along. Roy later described the prodding as a light "slap" to instigate Leo -- all in good fun and all for the benefit of the crowd. But what Sigfried did not realize was that the lion was suffering from a sudden bout of stage fright. Leo was terrified of the huge audience and the unfamiliar setting, and when Sigfried pushed, Leo struck back -- taking bits of the magician's arm and hand in the process." The book continues, "It's hard to be sure why the lion attacked Sigfried; it makes Roy's tiger attack feel like deja vu. But one likely explanation involves a "Hot Shot", or cattle prod, used in the event the lion fails to perform. The Hot Shot would allow Sigfried to give the animal an electric jolt to shock it into action -- or make the lion jump at the right time. It's possible that Sigfried, face with a motionless tiger that night, triggered the Hot Shot -- which was fitted into the floor of Leo's, and later, his replacement Raj's cage -- and startled him so much that the lion bit the performer." On this animal rights website, Stop Animal Exploitation Now, is testimony from a civil court case that we believe to be between Bhagavan Antle of T.I.G.E.R.S. and Mary Lynn & Joe Parker. We spoke with Don Elroy, the author, Mary Lynn Haven and Joe Parker who all identified the document as being part of the lawsuit involving Tiger Haven's first tiger. "In testimony from a civil court case concerning the "alleged" purchase of a tiger, the people who were to buy the tiger stated that they watched as the trainer pulled the tiger by a chain around her neck, pulled her tail from the other end, beat her over the head with dowel rods and shoved a cattle prod down her throat. The "buyers" testified that they were told by the trainer this needed to be done in order to "break her spirit". Further, they testified that the trainer informed them to establish a dominant position over the tiger or suffer the consequences. Video of this tiger shows her struggling to stand and a large protrusion on the top of her head." (We are still working to obtain a copy of this video) Circus Nospin, a blog written by circus animal trainers, has a post about cattle prods (and how they "aren't a big deal"). In the comment section, somebody notes that they've seen cattle prods at a circus to move tigers from the cages to the arena. "The trainer was with a tent show and his setup was such that the animals came out of their cages, and into a chute that consisted of a steel cage that came over them 180 degrees, that led them into the arena. I never saw the workers touch the animals with the Hot Shots or the metal chute, but they had them in hand as they encouraged the animals up the chute and into the area. I imagined they could be used to break up a fight between animals if one broke out in the chute. If that occurred it wouldn't have taken much to upend that chute and have some loose cats on ones hands." Circus trainer Wade G. Burck, who runs the blog, then responds with: "I have seen a hot shot used on a feline twice (I assume they are considered thick skinned). Once by a professional to move a scared animal into a crate for shipment to a zoo in Europe, and it worked great, as he used it on it's hip quickly when the animal least expected it. What could have been hours of poking and prodding was over in a matter of minutes with the animal secured, relaxed and resting. I saw it used years later by an amateur who was frustrated and angry and didn't know what he was doing. Out of desperation he punched (i.e., shocked) an angry tiger in the ribs(not the hip or shoulder as recommended) and the confused, scared animal turned and grabbed it and jerked it out of his hands. I have never used a hot shot on a tiger, as I have never needed to. I used one for a few days in 1978 with a herd of elephants, but I quit using it, as I didn't like the reaction I got from the animals." There is a 1999 citation for Sterling & Reid Bros. circus, which has a long list of big cat related "incidents". The USDA inspector witnessed exotic cats being struck with a broken hockey stick with jagged ends, and noted, “In order to shift one tiger into the arena, the animal was poked, prodded, and struck with poles. The lion was poked and prodded repeatedly while refusing to return to his platform. Eventually, he was struck across the face several times by the trainer in the ring... The use of food as an incentive was not attempted until after physical abuse failed to move the animal.” This document contains a long list of federal citations and other incidents by the Hawthorn Corporation, a privately-owned company which provides animals for Shrine circuses. There's some really nasty stuff in there, including white tigers sold for rugs, big cats beaten with baseball bats, and tigers packed in tiny, stinking cages for months on end. Hawthorn's elephants were taken from him, but he still has 27 tigers in IL as of 2015. The pet trade isn't any kinder to big cats. There's this article about Russell Lala, who became a quadriplegic at the age of 10 after a family friend's "pet" tiger and lion mauled him. Of particular interest are the 2005 photos of the "pets", and the conditions they were living in at the time, in the back room of the owner's auto parts store. They really illustrate typical basement "enclosures" that are so common in the pet trade. Both cats were euthanized after the attack, and their owner gave the rest of his exotic animals to sanctuaries after the incident. The owner was not charged with any crime, because no "negligence" was found (although I'd think that opening a tiger enclosure in front of a 10-year-old is pretty negligent). I also found this disgusting page http://www.rexano.org/ResponsibleOwnership/Safety/KeeperSafetyFrame.htm, which supposedly promotes "responsible" private ownership of big cats. They suggest using pepper spray, police batons, fire extinguishers, or electric prods on big cats "in case of an attack". They even give suggestions on using sticks to "gag a full-grown cougar", and advice on what caliber bullet to use when your "pet" tiger escapes. What's never suggested as a part of "keeper safety" is not owning the animal in the first place. And finally, to end on a good note, is this excerpt from a 2000 newsletter of The Lions Club International. It reads: Beware of Animals... "In recent years, humane societies and other animal-related groups have focused public attention on circuses and other events that may abuse animals used as part of the entertainment. Organizations that may use inherently dangerous wildlife, such as elephants, tigers, lions, bears and primates, may pose a potential safety hazard to the public and could raise ethical concerns regarding the humane treatment of animals. "If your club sponsors or sells tickets to events like this, make absolutely certain that the animals are treated humanely. Don’t take the organization’s word for this - check their record with the local humane society and other animal-rights groups active in your community. If you are approached to sponsor or sell tickets as an “easy” way to raise funds, the prudent thing would be to simply decline.