Harper 5

Samantha Harper
Harrell
English IV Honors
October 21, 2014

Research Question: How are humans effecting animals natural instincts by placing them in
circuses?
Working Thesis Statement: By keeping wild animals captive for entertainment in circuses, they
are losing their natural instincts and often are brutally mistreated. Wild animals are not capable
of adapting to such drastic changes of environment.
Refined Thesis Statement: By keeping wild animals captive for entertainment in circuses, they
are losing their natural instincts and often are brutally mistreated.

Annotated Bibliography
Chakraborty, Bipul, and Brij Kishor Gupta . "The Role Of Zoos In The Rehabilitation Of
Animals In The Circus." Journal Of Applied Animal Welfare Science 8.4 (2005): 285294. Academic Search Premier. Web. 20 Oct. 2014.
The article, The Role Of Zoos In The Rehabilitation Of Animals In The Circus, speaks
out against the mistreatment of animals captivated in circuses. Zoos have recently become a
safe haven for neglected wild animals. Animals in poor living conditions at circus are now sent
to zoos to be rehabilitated and protected. An organization called, CZA, rescued many lions from
circuses and are now in rehabilitation. This article proves my point that the animals set up for
entertainment in circuses are not getting the proper care needed for them to survive.

Harper 5
"Call For Wild Animals To Be Banned From The Circus." New Scientist 202.2709 (2009): 5.
MasterFILE Premier. Web. 20 Oct. 2014.
This article, Call For Wild Animals To Be Banned From The Circus, tells about the
terrible stress and poor conditions that circus animals must endure. The author calls for the end
of animals performing acts in circuses due the results from the global animal welfare study,
STARS. The animals spend little to no time actually training, instead spend most of the day
trapped in cage pacing back and forth confused and highly stressed. The enclosures are normally
a fourth of the size of the regulated standard in zoos. This article helps me show the overall
stress and panic that a typially free animal feels confined behind iron cages like criminals.