Circus of sadness
This is a painfully recurring subject for me, one that I had already written about on my personal blog last year. However, since it seems like we are not seeing the light of day as yet, I’ll just have to write about it some more. Until someone, somewhere, decides to do something about it.
Animal circuses. There’s one of them set up in Naxxar right now. If your stomach can take it, you can sneak right up to the enclosure where they keep their star performers.
Animals that were meant to enjoy the wild – or at the very least, a comfortable domestic environment – are kept in cages that don’t even allow them enough space to carry out a 180 degree turn.
Animals living in their own filth, forced to perform stupid tricks that you will only find entertaining if your IQ hovers somewhere between that of a frog and a particularly thick cactus.
Animals that spend a lifetime of misery, never allowed to enjoy life as they were meant to, usually meeting a nasty end when they are no longer useful in the ring.
How can this be anyone’s idea of “fun”? And yet, many who would probably recoil at the idea of physically harming any animal themselves, who probably even worship the pets they have at home, think nothing of supporting and financing the continuous torture of show animals.
One of the saddest sights I’ve ever seen was last Christmas, when everyday I had to drive by the circus that was stationed on the Granaries in Floriana. In a really pathetic attempt to attract the punters, the organisers had plonked a caged lion adjacent to the main road. I thought that the sight of the miserable looking animal would be enough to put off people. What do you know, everyone flocked to laugh and point and be pseudo scared.
Seriously, if we are so easily entertained by the spectacle of a helpless, caged animal...then no wonder this nation is going to the dogs. I have no problem re-iterating what I already said in last year’s post. If you take your kids to the animal circus, you are a bad parent. You are teaching your kids that bullying is fine; that preying on those who are more vulnerable is acceptable; that empathy is an unnecessary emotion.
And if you find that you are actually amused by what goes on at the circus, then really you can’t blame me for calling you stupid. You’re better off reading or watching a documentary about these animals. Watching an elephant balance a ball on its head is doing nothing for your brain cells, trust me.
But back to the people who can actually do something about this: the animal welfare authorities. Are any random checks being carried out to ensure a decent minimum standard for these animals? Under what criteria are licenses approved? What about guaranteeing shelter?
I guess we’ll never know the answers. Roll on Christmas and another sad, animal circus.
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Michael Seychell
Nov 3rd 2012, 16:27
I tend to agree with what Ms. Depares wrote - however I have one question for her - albeit I do not think she will care to answer. Ms. RD are you one of those who enjoy eating Veal since this is a very tender and tasty meat? - if your answer is no I will congatulate you on a good article, but if it is yes, then all you have written is Bullshit!
Michael Seychell Tal-Pieta
Ray Pisani
Nov 3rd 2012, 14:50
Despicable cruelty in caging animals in this way. I will never forget the last circus I went to in Qui si Sana many years ago when a tiger had enough of the maltreatment and beatings and escaped and bit a man on the neck. After the tiger was cornered it was beaten with massive blocks of wood, I doubt it survived.
Animal circuses are banned in the UK and other countries so why not Malta?
Jon Vercellono
Nov 2nd 2012, 12:41
Just one question - who is it that's deciding that animals are abused in the circus - is it the eminently qualified Ms. Depares - or the equally qualified remaining commenters on this blog. I haven't heard an expert opinion at all - only speculation (and I think that's an important point) - if you repeat something often enough, it becomes truth.
Conrad Costa
Nov 1st 2012, 20:20
Is it just me or is this the exemplification of hypocrisy? From a blogger who professes tolerance and rejects bigotry comes a clanger: "If you take your kids to the animal circus, you are a bad parent". How would *you* feel, Ramona, if I were to profess my opinion of your class (be it what it may) as a 'bad parent'?
Franco Farrugia
Nov 2nd 2012, 09:54
But you WOULD BE A BAD PARENT if you had to take your children to the circus! Search the Internet and open up your horizons. It's the 21st century, you know. Please keep up.
Conrad Costa
Nov 2nd 2012, 11:20
dear Franco. That is merely an opinion shared by you and other like-minded individuals. You can find anything on the internet to support your opinion. I do not feel however that being judgmental about others' tastes, lifestyle etc is helpful or even called for. Your opinion is stigmatizing a certain group as bad parents; I happen to disagree.
Jon Vercellono
Nov 2nd 2012, 11:29
@Franco Farrugia - and you are a worse parent if you don't educate your children about the ecosystem and interconnectivity of animal species in Malta. This circus thing is a "cause du jour" to invite celebrity comment and to give them something to do. Let's aid our animals first.
joanne pace
Nov 1st 2012, 15:40
The only way is to boycott circuses that involve any animals at all and they wont come to Malta or anywhere else.
Jon Vercellono
Nov 1st 2012, 11:18
Let's worry about the animals which are being crushed and callously disregarded by the thousands of privately owned vehicles in Malta. Despite a law that they must be reported if hit - this is never done, and one comes across animals who were left to suffer in the gutter dying a miserable lonely death. These are Maltese animals - I call on Ms. Depares to get the priorities straight.
Victor Laiviera
Nov 1st 2012, 13:18
Xenophobia even in the case of animals? Wonderful!
Jon Vercellono
Nov 1st 2012, 14:49
just saying that its a huge problem - at least the circus animals are getting food ; human contact; and shelter. Imagine a cat trying to cross the street and being mowed down!! They will always be here and yes, there is merit in survival of the fittest - however, why are we worried about Italian animals when we have our own animals to worry about (and its a far worse problem).
Jon Vercellono
Nov 1st 2012, 15:09
also not commenting or demonstrating when Star's abuser and other animal abusers get off with a slap on the wrist could be construed as rather hypocritical. here we are demonstrating about circus animals , and FAR WORSE abuse against animals has occured in Malta. What of the dog crucifixions in Mosta (not a word) - let clean our own problems and then worry about circuses.
Jon Vercellono
Nov 2nd 2012, 08:28
One final thought - why was it that Noah's Ark was almost out of money? Why did it take a crisis to resolve their problems - what about funding for the SPCA - surely that's equally important. This "cause du jour" of circus animals (should they be mistreated) needs to take a back seat to our animals and ecosystem here. As said, circus animals have food, shelter, and human contact.
Victor Laiviera
Nov 1st 2012, 10:57
Well said - I'm going to pinch your line about "bad parents"
Mario Schembri Wismayer
Nov 1st 2012, 09:58
Judging by the fact that there's an animal caravan with the ramp down, I would say that those animals in that small (and obviously temporary) cage are there just until their main quarters get mucked out. Hasn't anyone ever been plonked onto an armchair and told to stay there while the floor is being washed...? Why do we create tragedies when there aren't any?
S Debono
Nov 1st 2012, 16:20
Were you made to sit on an armchair all your life whilst the floors were being washed?These animals are in cages & caravans all there life , being transported from country to country to act like clowns to make a few idiots that still go to the animal circus laugh!!! You think because the ramp in the caravan is let down then it's fine? tragedies?we are speaking out for animals because they can't!!!
Mario Schembri Wismayer
Nov 2nd 2012, 11:46
@ S Debono: What has the ramp got to do with it? I only pointed out that the ramp was down to prove that the animals in the temporary cage were out of their normal accommodation whilst it was being cleaned (and hence open with the ramp down to allow for this to happen) 'It' being fine or not has nothing to do with the ramp being down. Or up, for that matter...
Franco Farrugia
Nov 3rd 2012, 19:59
It's not a question of creating tragedies when there aren't any. It's a question of growing up, a question of learning, a question of widening our own knowledge and horizons, a question of not remaining stuck in our troglodyte cave even if the calendar shows that we are in the 21st century?
Renald Borg
Nov 1st 2012, 09:44
Therefore just because there are a million others being abused for a million other reasons doesn’t mean we have the excuse to not save this ONE!.........It just means we have to start from somewhere… AKA this ONE!
Steffi Thake
Nov 1st 2012, 09:27
I think we should be bringing human circuses like Cirque Du Soleil to Malta! I'd much rather marvel at the capability of human creativity and the human body! Being able to whip an animal to get it to perform something silly does not show off 'human ability' but rather 'human stupidity'.
As for the Animal Welfare Department ... just don't bother.
Kevin Grixti
Nov 1st 2012, 09:21
I am not saying its good to close animals in small cages....stop making such a big fuss about it.
If you go to ANY farm around the world you'll see what im talking about....just to get a general idea, go on Google and write: ''chicken farm'' and you'll see what i'm talking about. :)
Franco Farrugia
Nov 3rd 2012, 19:57
You seem oblivious to the fact that we are here speaking about entertainment. That should mark a difference to you. Whether you start your opinion by such things as 'I am not saying ....' you are absolutely not influencing us as to what comes next. And as far as the 'big fuss' is concerned, I wish to see you jumping up and down if, heaven forbid, you see your own son or daughter being abused!
Maria Williams
Nov 1st 2012, 07:38
Well said! I have come to the conclusion that, whereas in other countries circuses with animals are being banned, in Malta the powers that be, either do not care, or are prepared to ignore the suffering for ulterior motives, such as not stepping on any toes! In the meantime the animals continue to be abused.
Ms Sylvia Zammit
Oct 31st 2012, 23:19
Well said Ramona!
Carmen Borg
Oct 31st 2012, 22:00
Animal circuses should be banned. It is sadistic cruelty pure and simple. When are the idiots that are in power going to wake up to themselves. Or better there should be a lynch mob go to parliament and collar all the polititians and shove them in the same cages and let them stew in them for a week. Maybe then they would understand what the animals feel.
Bernard Pollacco
Oct 31st 2012, 20:15
i want to give my opinion on this subject, if you don't like them don't go, you are only making more publicity for the event = getting more people to go to the event and see for themselves !
Jo Grima
Oct 31st 2012, 22:00
Going to see for themselves is a certificate of ignorance, and the cherry on the cake comes when they tpose for pictures with the poorly treated animals ....supposedly to to blow up the picture and hang it on their wall like it was some university certificate, a sad nation this was, still is and i guess always will be
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