The global trend away from circus animal acts reflects growing awareness of the welfare costs of training wild animals to perform unnatural behaviors.
Wild animals used in circuses face welfare harms throughout their lives: capture or breeding in inadequate conditions, training that uses pain and fear to overcome natural instincts, extensive travel in small enclosures, and performance in noisy, stressful environments. Stereotypic behaviors — repetitive swaying, head-bobbing, pacing — are diagnostic of chronic psychological distress and are ubiquitous in circus animals. The good news is that audiences increasingly prefer human-talent shows, making the economic case for animal-free circus compelling.