Despite widespread bans, circuses using wild animals continue in many countries, with welfare evidence showing chronic stress and behavioral abnormality in performing animals.
Wild animals in circuses face a fundamental welfare problem: their biological needs for space, social complexity, and natural behavior are irreconcilable with touring performance schedules and transport logistics. Repeated surveys of circus animals by veterinary inspectors find elevated stress hormones, stereotypic behaviors, and physical conditions indicating inadequate nutrition and veterinary care. The welfare case against wild animal circuses is now considered settled in mainstream animal science; the question is one of enforcement and transition support.