THEME: Animals in Cages and Captivity- Zoo Animals, Companion Animals

REDEFINING THE MODERN CIRCUS: A COMPARATIVE LOOK AT THE

REGULATIONS GOVERNING CIRCUS ANIMAL TREATMENT AND AMERICA'S
NEGLECT OF CIRCUS ANIMAL WELFARE
"All of us have an inherent love of the circus. It awakens in our prosaic hearts memories of
childish excursions into the enchanted realms of Sawdust Land " - Percy W. White1
ABSTRACT
Circuses are not as they seem. Dancing elephants are heart-broken mothers whose babies
were stripped from them just seconds after they gave birth. The tasselled batons of circus
performers are bull hooks in disguise. Tigers that amazingly jump through fire are victims of
lifelong abuse. Lions that stand with prominence have gone months without proper veterinary
care and are fed spoiled meat. The United States should introduce a nationwide ban on
circuses with animals. The United States Congress has a bill, the Travelling Exotic Animal
Protection Act ("TEAPA"), ready and waiting to be passed to help protect circus
animals.2Many countries have restrictions on animal circuses for the benefit of animal
welfare, and America should look to those restrictions for guidance when creating their own. 3
There are many animal rights organizations and animal sanctuaries in America whose
determination, resources, and skills have proven successful in rescuing and relocating circus
animals to better environments.4
First, this article explains how animals have entertained people for centuries.5 Next, the
article addresses how animals are treated in the modern circus industry. Then, this article
discusses the laws governing the circus industry both in the India and in other countries.
Lastly, this article explains where the animals may retire if the circus industry is prohibited
from holding animals captive.
Author- Ojaswini Tripathi
 Currently a 2nd year Under graduate student of B.A.llb (hons.) at Damodaram
Sanjivayya National Law University, Vishakhapatnam. Previously, the author has
presented research papers relating following legal paradigms, “STRATAGEM OF
COSMETIC INDUSTRIES AND ABUSE OF CONSUMER RIGHTS” (at National law university,
New Delhi), “THE DE NOVO CONCEPT OF GLOBAL KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY PARTURITION IN
R&D IN COGNIZANCE WITH COSMOCEUTICALS” (at National Law University of Indian University,
Bangalore) and “DE CRIMINALISATION OF SEX WORK IN INDIA” (at Rajiv Gandhi National
University Of Law, Patiala).
 DSNLU research wing: part of the research wing, which is currently working on the
analysis of right to information act 2005.
 Researching on AP state reorganisation Bill.(Government)The research work is
facilitated by AP

1
. Percy W. White, A Circus List, I AMERICAN SPEECH 282-83 (Feb. 1926).
2
Travelling Exotic Animal Protection Act, H.R. 4525, 113th Cong. (2d Sess. 2014).
3
. See infra Part V.
4
. See infra Part VI.
5
See infra Part II; see also BRUCE A. WAGMAN & MATTHEW LIEBMAN, A