• Question: do animals enjoy performing tricks in front of crowds?

    Asked by evie1210 to Charlotte, Jo, Kevin, Louise, Valeria on 11 Jun 2012.
    • Photo: Kevin Mahon

      Kevin Mahon answered on 11 Jun 2012:

      There is certainly something to be said for the mental and physical stimulation that some performace animals can gain in these circumstances, but on the welfare side of things, animals performing tricks for crowds have a pretty low standard of living.

      Circuses are notorious for their poor living conditions, lack of space provided for the animal and the limits they put on the animals natural behaviour.

      So a tiger that gets stimulation from jumping through a hoop in response to a treat is probably in a worse scenario than one that is allowed to live naturally over a wide area of land.

    • Photo: Joanna Cruden

      Joanna Cruden answered on 11 Jun 2012:

      Animals usually need to get used to being near crowds before they can do a trick in front of them, the animal is unlikely to enjoy performing a trick more or less in front of a crowd, although some animals may get excited in the presence of a large group of people but it is unlikely to be related to the trick.

      If the animal looks healthy and well cared and is doing tricks and looks as if it is excited with its ears pricked forward and tail wagging (if it has one) then the experience is most likely a positive one for the animal rather than a negative one.

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