We all love a good show and a great laugh. There are trained animals found in all parts of the entertain industry. There are animal actors, performers like in the circuses and then there are the ones locked up in the zoo which are also meant to entertain visiting audiences
In the circus, various creatures perform various tricks and stunts for the spectacle of some viewers.
These circus owner do well by providing food which the animals normal wouldn’t find in the wild. Making sure they are healthy. Although, its even in their best interest. No spectator would come to watch a malnourished lion jump through hoops.
While capturing animals and training them to do extra ordinary things one wouldn’t normally see anywhere is necessary for entertaining the audiences, it also comes with tons of its own disadvantages. Especially to the animals.
You should know that these animals and locked in cages, sometimes for days while the circus moves around. When they’re finally free, they are forced to perform a number of tricks. The moment they try to protest, they get the whip or some sort of punishment. As a result of this, an animal maybe become unhinged and decide to retaliate, putting the trainer and the spectators in harms way.
Similarly, Zoo owners are obliged to provide and cater for the animals on display in their facilities. Provision of top notch medicine and vaccinations for the animals. They have also been known for rescuing species which are on the brink of extinction. For example, the Smithsonian National Zoological Park participates in the recovery of endangered or threatened species including giant pandas, tigers, golden lion tamarins, cheetahs, black-footed ferrets, etc. Some of these breeding programs for these species consist of bringing the endangered species into the zoo’s, breeding them, then releasing their young into the wild to help repopulate.
The cons however is that some of these animals like lions are social animals, isolation causes them sadness. I bet you’ve been to your local zoo and seen an animal(mostly lions) pacing back and forth without stopping This is a condition that is now common in zoos that animals are now being given anti-depressants. This condition is commonly referred to as “Zoo-chosis”.
