Blog Archives - HAPPY VEG

Botswana Lifting Ban on Hunting Elephants

5/29/2019

worldanimalnews.com/heartbreaking-news-botswana-unfathomably-ends-5-year-ban-on-hunting-elephants-threatened-wildlife/

Botswana has come to the decision that they are going to lift a nearly 5 year ban on hunting elephants citing issues with farmers and elephants interrupting their livelihoods. On top of the farming industry, Botswana aims to promote and increase their Safari Hunting industry while maintaining the elephant population within its historic range. Basically, they are concerned more with profit than the livelihood of an entire species' survival, shocking.

Claiming to have consulted tourism organizations, conservationists, affected communities, and researchers, it was apparently agreed that lifting the ban and ensuring that the hunting of elephants was done responsibly and within appropriate targets was a reasonable thing to do. Interestingly, it's conservationists that are fighting every single day to protect elephants from going extinct as their numbers have plummeted in Africa to approximately 135, 000 so I'm curious if perhaps these very same conservationists consulted on this matter were perhaps paid to agree in some way or another because any level headed person, conservationist or not, would tell you that 135, 000 elephants is an alarmingly low population and allowing regulated hunts will only dwindle those numbers further.

What I can see here is once again, profits trump survival of an entire species. Africa has seen some of its most recognized and respected wildlife end up on the endangered species act because of poaching and illegal hunting. In fact, animal like leopards, lions, elephants, and rhinos, are all in danger of going extinct if proper conservation efforts are not put in to place. It's bad enough that illegal poaching is wiping these animals out, but then to allow regulated hunting of elephants on top of it? It sickens me to the core to try and understand the logic or lack thereof behind this decision.

To put things into perspective, the city I live in back in Ontario Canada has less than 250, 000 people and we are considered a very small city. Now, there is approximately 100, 000 less elephants on the entire continent of Africa, can you imagine? There is absolutely no justification for allowing these beautiful animals to be legally hunted. Allowing such an atrocity will undoubtedly work against years of conservation efforts to repopulate the elephants and will likely push them much closer to extinction.

The Zoo vs Sea World, the Circus, or Roadside Zoos

5/26/2019

When you think of animal exploitation, it's easy to look at any organization that takes money on behalf of animals being the attraction which in essence, is not incorrect. However, I truly think there are some seriously big differences between the exploitation that occurs in places like Sea World or the Circus, versus accredited zoos. Allow me to dive into this further;

THE CIRCUS

The Circus is one of the biggest instances of animal exploitation out there. Wild animals like elephants, tigers, and lions, performing tricks that are wholly unnatural to them for adoring crowds who pay money to the circus that profits exponentially off of them. The animals are treated very poorly behind the scenes, often times being poked, prodded, and beaten, to train and force them into submission.

In between shows, they are kept in ridiculously small cages as they are transported between cities where they are forced to perform over and over again. These activities put immeasurable stress on the animals and they often suffer psychological problems because of it. There is no money going towards conservation, rehoming, or educational purposes, therefor the circus is exploiting these animals to the fullest degree. The circus has no place in our society and any circus that utilizes wild animals in its shows needs to be banned for being entirely unethical. It's important to note that almost all of these animals are endangered in the wild making the circus extra disgusting.

SEA WORLD

Sea World and Marine Land are perfect examples of animal exploitation as well. These amusement parks accept large quantities of money from people every day at the expense of poorly treated animals. In this case, shows are performed by killer whales, dolphins, beluga whales, and more, where they jump through hoops or perform synchronized routines all for the purpose of making money for the amusement park.

In this case, these beautiful creatures live in the equivalent of bathtubs their entire lives and are either bred in captivity or taken from the wild, both cases being horrific. They spend their entire lives in the tiniest of spaces suffering immensely as they are often alone. This causes them serious psychological damage and has been documented on several occasions. These amusement parks profit heavily off of the suffering of animals with absolutely no concern for conservation or animal welfare, therefor they are another example of animal exploitation at its finest. They are currently suffering serious backlash with boycotts and calls to action regularly plaguing them for the poor conditions their creatures are kept in.

ROADSIDE ZOOS

Roadside zoos are unassumingly terrible because of their small scale but that certainly doesn't mean that they are not exploiting animals. In fact, roadside zoos are often the worst of the lot, let me explain.

Roadside zoos are attractions that slip under the radar and can often be found along highways or tucked away in undisclosed locations just waiting to lure in travelers who want to bear witness to what they believe to be well cared for animals. The fact is, these zoos often obtain their animals illegally and that's only the beginning. These animals often live in squalor with limited access to food, water, and especially veterinary care. The operators of these establishments have absolutely no idea how to care for these animals which results in the animals being very poorly looked after. They profit solely at the expense of the animals and have absolutely no regard for their well being, only concerned with making money for themselves.

It is important if you spot these roadside attractions to notify your local animal welfare group because there is a very good chance these attractions are undocumented meaning they likely have no licence to operate. An investigation would likely lead to charges and see the animals moved to sanctuaries where they'd be properly looked after.

In every instance of the above mentioned establishments, they profit at the expense of the animals. In every case, the animals are living sad existences suffering immensely for the profit of a human led organization that could care less about the damage they are causing to these animals. It's important to note that all of these organizations are currently embroiled in various bans, boycotts, and investigations leading to charges of animal cruelty.

Now, I'd like to dive into what makes accredited and licences zoos different although not entirely without exploitation.

ACCREDITED ZOOS

I have fond memories of being brought to the zoo as a child and have visited a few times since my youth. In the case of accredited zoos, there are some major things that set them apart from the organizations I've mentioned prior, let's take a look at some of the differences.

Accredited zoos are very different in that they serve both an entertainment and educational purpose. Each enclosure offers information about the animals housed in their enclosures. This information pertains to the animal's life outside of the zoo, it gives students the opportunity not only to see the animal, but to learn about them. Everything from interesting facts about the animal to their natural habitats, their diets, and their characteristics. This educational aspect is the first difference between the zoo and those other organizations.

Access to appropriate food, water, and veterinary care also sets accredited zoos apart. There are several hundred fully trained specialists that look after each animal individually ensuring that it is kept in the best conditions possible. The enclosures often attempt to recreate a natural habitat to the best of their ability with adequate space for the animals to freely roam. It's definitely not perfect because any of these animals would have significantly more space in the wild but there is a significant difference between the quality of life between accredited zoos and roadside attractions.

Conservation is the most important of all the differences that must be discussed. Zoos often work tirelessly with conservationists to help repopulate severely endangered animals. Most recently, snow leopards and pandas have made the news for the zoos efforts to try and repopulate their numbers. Pandas are notoriously difficult to breed and working closely with conservationists, zoos are working tirelessly to save endangered species from extinction. Although one might argue that they are still in captivity yes, the fact is that these animals are nearing extinction in the wild and without the efforts of the zoos, they would be both extinct in the wild and in captivity.

Ultimately, the zoo still profits off of animals which essentially is wrong, but the money they make goes towards a variety of good causes along with profiting. As mentioned, they work to educate people about the animals and the perils they face in the wild, they work towards repopulating these animals and working with conservationists to aid in their efforts to conserve these species, and they provide appropriate care to the animals.

Zoos are not without scandal, there have been multiple reports of zoo employees being attacked or killed by animals, animal escapes resulting in euthanasia, and children falling into enclosures. All of these situations shed a truly negative light on the operations of zoos but as I said, if you are going to put your money towards any of the organizations mentioned, accredited zoos are the ONLY of these organizations the have a purpose outside of profit and exploitation.

I'm not telling you to ignore what's wrong with the zoo, I'm telling you to recognize the difference between accredited zoos and what they aim to achieve versus organizations like circus' or marine parks where animals are performing unnaturally and living horrendous lives outside of the public eye. There is a difference and we should recognize that although the zoo is NOT perfect by any means, they still make attempts to help in areas where animals are suffering and at risk in the wild and I think that should be recognized.

HAPPY VEG

Roadside Zoo in Quebec Canada Busted for Cruelty

5/25/2019

worldanimalnews.com/breaking-over-100-wild-exotic-animals-rescued-by-hsi-at-a-roadside-zoo-in-canada-following-seizure-by-montreal-spca/

The owner of the Zoo St-Edouard in Quebec is charged with neglect and cruelty to animals under Canadian Criminal Code after the Montreal SPCA and other animal welfare groups seized over 100 wild & exotic animals from the property.

A bear sits alone in a desolate enclosure at the St-Edouard Zoo. Photo Taken from World Animal News

Upon touring the property, there were several instances of neglect and cruelty that were apparent. Among these instances, animals were found to be kept in dark, desolate enclosures, some were found without proper shelter from the elements and without access to water or food, and there were cases of animals exhibiting mental / emotional problems seen pacing in their enclosures. All of this and more lead to the charges brought upon the owner of the St-Eduoard zoo.

Roadside zoos often slip under the radar because they lack proper registration and licences to operate or be in possession of exotic or wild animals. These zoos typically lack veterinary care or the education on how to properly care for these animals which leads to them being in states of distress constantly. It also leads to the animals being kept in adequate enclosures, alone, and without proper access to food or water. These zoos exploit and profit off of these animals without any of the money going towards real initiatives like conservation of a species which is the worst kind of operation. Without the accreditation to operate legally and with general concern for conservation or other charitable intentions, these zoos are no different than the circus or places like Sea World where animals are forced to perform for our entertainment and are often kept in horrid conditions.

All of the animals seized will head to sanctuaries where they will be properly cared for and remain under the protection of people who have their best interests at heart. Thank goodness for the tireless efforts of these animal welfare groups because without them, these roadside attractions would continue to profit off of the suffering of animals. The fact is, roadside zoos never have the best interests of the animals in mind when they operate and people continue to stop by and unknowingly pay for these animals to continue to suffer.

Photo taken from World Animal News

I implore each and every one of you to take note of these sorts of attractions should you pass them on your travels and notify the local Humane Society. There is a very good chance that animal welfare groups simply are unaware of them and chances are, should they investigate them, they would likely discover animal cruelty and neglect. It's so important to expose these places so that these animals can be sent to sanctuaries where they will be taken care of. As I said, make note of where you spot these places and always notify your local animal welfare groups so that they may take it upon themselves to further investigate.

HAPPY VEG

Animal News - May 23

5/23/2019

CALIFORNIA ADVANCES BAN ON WILD ANIMALS IN CIRCUS'

worldanimalnews.com/update-california-senate-advances-the-circus-cruelty-prevention-act-by-unanimous-vote-of-34-0/

The California Senate has advanced a bill banning the use of wild animals in circuses with a unanimous vote of 34-0. The bill will ban the use of any wild animal in a circus for performance and entertainment purposes.

Animals performing in circus' are either born in captivity or torn from their families in the wild. They are poked and prodded during training to make them submissive and get them to perform tricks that are entirely unnatural to them. Between performances, they are chained up with very little room to move around as they make their way from city to city. They are stripped of their dignity and of any wild habits they deserve to have as wild animals. The circus is a degrading experience for these animals and one that the consumer unknowingly pays for when they support the circus.

Cities throughout California have already made the move to ban wild animals in circus' but this would be a statewide ban essentially preventing these circus' from travelling to California for their shows.

“We have no right to take animals from the wild or those born in captivity and force them to perform for our entertainment,” said Judie Mancuso, Founder and CEO of Social Compassion in Legislation.

Photo taken from World Animal News

This is great news but also an indicator that we have so much more work to do when it comes to animal welfare. Circus' that use wild animals in their shows should be banned across the globe and this process is taking much longer than I think any animal lover would hope. Big thanks to California for taking the steps to put an end to wild animals in circus'.

PRADA GOING FUR FREE

worldanimalnews.com/breaking-news-prada-goes-fur-free/

Prada is the next big name fashion label to go fur free announcing that beginning with its Spring/Summer 2020 line, they will cease using fur altogether. Prada joins a growing list of big name labels that have made the commitment to ditch fur in their fashion recognizing that fur is despicable and unnecessary.

Photo taken from World Animal News

The fur industry is definitely the most unnecessary of all industries that exploit animals for profit. The animals used for their fur are bred solely for fur and are not utilized in any other way. There have been several undercover exposures done on fur farms that show the true horror of what these animals endure while in captivity. There have been reports of animals living in cramped cages, sitting in their own feces and urine, suffering from untreated infections, and extremely overweight to produce more pelt. These animals live their entire lives in abhorrent conditions for fashion and there is simply no excuse for continuing to support this cruel industry.

Prada will join other big name labels like Ralph Lauren, Victoria Beckham, Calvin Klein, and Phillip Lim in banning fur. As more big name labels come out in support of banning fur, I believe this will continue to have a trickling effect on other labels, pressuring them to ditch fur as well. Here's to a fur free planet where animals are the only ones using their fur!

HAPPY VEG

Australian Government under Pressure to Protect Koala Habitat

5/17/2019

worldanimalnews.com/breaking-australian-koala-foundation-is-calling-on-the-new-prime-minister-to-enact-the-koala-protection-act-to-save-the-remianing-80000-koalas-from-extinction/

The new Prime Minister of Australia is being urged to enact the Koala Protection Act (KPA) after concerns have been raised that koalas have become functionally extinct in the wild. "Functionally Extinct" is a label given to a species that has gotten to the point that it may be too late to help them from going extinct.

There are approximately 80, 000 koalas left in the wild and it is imperative that the KPA become active to protect the remaining koalas and work towards a conservation goal that would see them better protected and work towards increasing their numbers. Koala forests cover approximately 20% of Australia's landscape and of the 128 electorates, koalas are currently extinct in 41 of them. The Australia Koala Foundation has determined that current programs in place to protect the environment and koalas are simply inadequate which is why the KPA must be enacted to protect them before it's too late.

Sadly, when it comes to endangered animals and helping to protect them, the process involved in getting the government on board is often lengthy and these animals simply do not have that kind of time. It's saddening that animals often fall down the list of importance when it comes to running a country but what these officials fail to realize is the sad state our planet will be in when we have failed so many species like the koala.

A planet without animals is a planet we have failed especially considering there is often the opportunity to help them before it is too late. There are currently just over 16, 000 species of animals / plants listed as endangered according to the ESA meaning they are in danger of extinction without appropriate protections. That's an alarming amount of species we could lose because of our own actions or lack of action in this case.

Along with koalas, animals like giraffes, elephants, rhinos, lions, and leopards are in serious danger of going extinct in the wild unless we stand up and take serious action to help them. It sickens me the lax approach to conservation our governments are taking. Do they not realize that extinction is permanent?

My hope is that the Australian government gets on board and enacts the KPA to save koalas before it is too late for them. For more information regarding the KPA and what you can do to help, follow the link at the top of the page to the World Animal News page and head to the bottom of the article.

HAPPY VEG

Rhino Dehorning to Deflect Poaching in Dire Situation

5/13/2019

worldanimalnews.com/breaking-sanparks-announces-dehorning-of-rhinos-in-kruger-national-park-as-a-tool-to-combat-poaching/

SANPark employees in Kruger National Park have made the desperate decision to begin selectively dehorning rhinos in an effort to prevent illegal poaching. Rhinos are one of the most endangered land animals on the planet and illegal poaching continues to be the biggest threat to their existence with the black market ivory trade still rampant.

As the article suggests, this demonstrates just how dire the situation really is when it comes to rhino conservation. Along with extremely stiff penalties for anyone caught trespassing with rifles or with the intention to poach these rhinos, there is the realization that losing the rhino bulls comes with a slew of problems relating to future populations. Poaching of rhino bulls will immediately lead to lower populations of rhinos but also often leaves baby rhinos destitute without parents to protect them. Ultimately, this leaves the babies in danger of death as well and will lead to future reproduction suffering.

As I mentioned, rhinos are one of the most endangered land animals on the planet. In the past several years, there have been at least two species of rhino that have gone extinct because of wildlife poaching and the illegal ivory trade. Although there have been great efforts to protect rhinos from illegal poachers, the problem still exists and there just simply aren't enough other options to protect them than to remove their horns in an effort to deter potential poachers. Without their ivory, there will be no reason for poachers to kill these beautiful creatures. The hope here is that this will deter more poaching which will ultimately lead to more reproduction and improved conservation.

There are approximately 30, 000 wild rhinos left in the entire world with two species being listed as critically endangered. When you consider how many people there are on the planet and then think about how few rhinos there are scattered across the globe, it's evident just how desperate this situation truly is.

Along with rhinos, elephants, lions, giraffes, tigers, and leopards all face serious dangers in the wild and these dangers will ultimately lead to extinction if wildlife poaching is not stopped and quickly. Africa's wildlife is crucial to its ecosystem and their wildlife are also the most poached in the world. Trophy hunting continues to be permitted despite these animals suffering in the wild along with illegal poaching. We are making great strides when it comes to illegal poaching but we need also to address trophy hunting and call it out for the hypocrisy that it is. Trophy hunting acts under the guise of conservation because these arseholes pay tens of thousands of dollars to shoot one of these animals and the money supposedly goes towards conservation efforts which sounds fine on paper but the fact is there simply aren't enough of these animals left in the wild for this to be effective. These people should simply donate their money to REAL conservation efforts and trophy hunting of endangered species should be banned across the globe.

Here's to hoping the dehorning of selected rhinos will be the much needed solution to a serious poaching problem and we will see the number of rhino kills decrease.

HAPPY VEG

Call to Action after African Breeding Facility Exposed

5/9/2019

worldanimalnews.com/urgent-call-to-action-after-shocking-images-of-horrifically-neglected-captive-bred-lions-in-south-africa-surface/

Anonymous photos of lions suffering in some gruesome conditions prompted an investigation and charges from the NSPCA. A lion breeding facility in South Africa was exposed for having hundreds of lions living in less than ideal conditions. Along with the lions, they also had tigers, leopards, and caracal, likely enduring poor conditions as well. The lion breeding industry is one rampant with cruelty from start to finish and this investigation certainly shines a light on some of the atrocities these lions are forced to endure on top of the awful lives simply being bred provides them.

Lions in the breeding industry endure nothing but cruelty from the minute they're born.

Lions are repeatedly bred which is unnatural to them as they typically spend 15 - 24 months between litters.
Cubs are immediately stripped from their mothers' so that they can be sold to "cub petting" tourist traps where people pay to cuddle and take selfies with cubs.
As the cubs mature, they are then sold off for various other entertainment purposes until they are too old.
Once they reach an age that they are no longer suitable for entertainment, they are done away with either by allowing stupid rich people to pay to hunt them while they're caged and cannot escape OR slaughtered and have their bones / pelts sold and trafficked.

Photos taken from World Animal News

As WAN discussed, there are currently more lions in captivity than in the wild which is nothing short of alarming especially considering these lions are not being bred and released for conservation. They are being bred solely for the purpose of exploiting / profiting off of them. Lions are listed as a threatened species under the endangered species act so it is especially repulsive that these facilities aren't even trying to breed for the purpose of repopulating.

The lions in this specific case were all found to be suffering extensive hair loss because of Mange. They were in some cases found to be living in filth, in over cramped cages, and there were cubs found to have neurological disorders. So as if it isn't atrocious enough that these lions live this kind of despicable life of exploitation, they're also being kept in ungodly condition while they wait for their use to be up. It's a disgusting trade that profits off of the suffering of endangered animals and now that the NSPCA has investigated and charged this specific farm, it is my hope that they take it upon themselves to investigate the as many as 260 facilities operating. The fact is, it's never just one out of all of them that is doing things wrong, there are likely half or more of them that have these beautiful animals living in squalor until being slaughtered and something needs to be done.

Get the full story by visiting the link at the top of the page from World Animal News

HAPPY VEG

Jimmy John's CEO proof money doesn't buy class

5/7/2019

www.peta.org/blog/boycott-jimmy-johns-ceo-hunter/

The CEO of popular sub spot Jimmy John's is proof that money doesn't buy you class after a series of despicable hunting photos made the rounds on Twitter. In the most recent photo, the CEO is seen smiling proudly in front of an adult elephant he likely spent tens of thousands of dollars to shoot dead. When the photos hit the internet, they immediately went viral with a boycott trending on twitter of the chain.

This is not the first time the CEO has come under hot water for his pro-trophy hunting stance as he has regularly taken part in trophy hunting and proudly shared photos of his kills. What's especially disturbing about these photos is that this is a man who has plenty of money and could put that money to such good use but he'd rather spend it to satisfy some sick desire to end the life of an animal. Not just any animals either you know, these are often endangered animals that require protection from extinction and this jackass is out here slaughtering them for fun. Now, you guys know that trophy hunting operates under the guise of conservation but as I've said repeatedly, there is no bigger hypocrisy out there.

Jimmy John CEO Jimmy John Liautaud posing proudly in front of an endangered elephant he slaughtered.
Photos taken from PETA.org

When it comes to protecting and conserving an entire species, there is no justification in shooting them dead and posing in front of their corpses' proudly. One cannot argue that they are helping to save a species while also shooting them dead for fun, it simply couldn't be further from the truth. The money paid to hunt these animals hardly compensates for the fact that these animals are facing grave danger in the wild and every single one of them remaining in the wild is crucial to their survival. Trophy hunting hides behind conservation as some sort of sick justification for shooting endangered animals and shames organizations that are actually out there working tirelessly to protect these animals from extinction.

He hunts all variety of endangered species including grizzly bears, rhinos, and even proudly lays atop a shark he slaughtered in the nude completely shaming the animal. Photos taken from Peta.org

This man has repeatedly demonstrated a lack of respect for animals hunting some of the most endangered animals on the planet. Rhinos of all variety face grave danger in the wild with 2 varieties going extinct in the past 10 years and he has posted photos proudly smiling behind one he slaughtered. Along with rhinos, he has hunted elephants, grizzly bears, and even demonstrated a complete lack of respect for animal life by posing nude on top of a shark he killed. This man is a pervert of the highest degree and that's why I will be joining in on the boycotting of Jimmy John's by sharing these posts relentlessly. This man needs to be punished for his actions which undoubtedly contribute to the perils endangered animals face. As I said, a man with all of this money could donate so much money to organizations that actually work to conserve these species instead of paying to slaughter them for fun.

If you're on twitter, join me and the countless others by sharing this story or any of them mentioning this jackass and make sure to use the hashtag #boycottjimmyjohns to keep this trending. I hope his business suffers or he does at the very least for his actions and perhaps he smartens up and contributes to a conservation fund or even decides to abandon trophy hunting in favour of the millions of other things we can do to have fun.

HAPPY VEG

Billboard Asking California To Speak Out Against Calf Roping

5/6/2019

worldanimalnews.com/breaking-in-defense-of-animals-new-anti-calf-roping-billboard-near-rowell-ranch-rodeo-sends-a-clear-message/

A billboard from In Defense of Animals calls for the end of calf roping in lieu of the upcoming calf roping event taking place May 18th / 19th during the Castro Valley Rowell Ranch Rodeo. The billboard which shows the image of a calf that has been slammed to the ground in agony with a rope around its neck will be displayed for on month n an effort to draw attention to the needless suffering of baby cows for entertainment.

Rodeos are notoriously cruel events hiding behind the guise of tradition and have been operating for decades under this idea. Much like bullfighting, animal cruelty is overlooked because of the historical factor of these events but this is not acceptable nor an excuse to continue to allow animals to suffer for the purposes of entertainment.

The thing about calf roping is that it is cruel in every single aspect, start to finish, these animals suffer. First off, the babies are prodded, electrocuted, or have their tails twisted and pulled in an effort to antagonize them backstage. This in turn causes them to bolt out of the fence at almost 30 miles per hour, fleeing in fear as a cowboy on a horse chases after them trying to whip a rope around their neck and pull them to the ground aggressively before tying up their legs . These babies often suffer torn ligaments. hemorrhages, and other injuries ultimately leading to their deaths when they are no longer needed.

The fact is, every animal used in the rodeo is tortured to some degree to appear more aggressive than they are. Electric prodding and other abuses take place backstage so that when the animals break through their fences, they appear angry and aggressive because frankly, a cow that slowly walks out of a fence or a horse that trots versus runs simply doesn't provide the amusement the rodeo is after. The fact is, the rodeo is the perfect example of animal cruelty & exploitation and people who attend literally pay for the abuse of animals for entertainment. It needs to be put to an end for good.

Here's to hoping this billboard draws attention to the plight of these animals and even if it turns one person away who planned to attend, that's one more person who recognizes the needlessness of these activities.

HAPPY VEG

England to Ban Wild Animals Traveling in Circus'

5/1/2019

worldanimalnews.com/breaking-uk-government-announces-new-bill-to-ban-use-of-wild-animals-in-traveling-circuses-in-england/

The U.K. has announced a bill that will ban the use of wild animals in circus' traveling through England joining Scotland in banning them from performing. The long awaited bill is wholly supported by the people of the U.K. who have shown overwhelming support for the ban. The U.K. would join nearly half the world's country's in making wild animal circus' a thing of the past which is long overdue according to Animal Defenders International.

Wild animals simply have no place in the circus where they live utterly miserable lives. They travel in cramped quarters between cities, are poked, prodded, and abused to perform which is wholly unnatural to them. It is not in any wild animal's natural instinct to perform in the manner they are forced to do and is nothing other than animal exploitation. When we are making money off of the suffering of animals, it simply is inexcusable and demonstrates a complete lack of empathy for the animals in these shows.