“A WORLD MOVING BEYOND WILD ANIMAL ACTS”

From national bans to local restrictions, entertainment is changing.

For generations, wild animals performing under the big top were considered an ordinary part of the circus experience.

Elephants balancing on stools. Tigers jumping through hoops. Primates performing tricks.

Today, that model is increasingly being questioned—and in many places, prohibited.

According to FOUR PAWS, more than 40 countries worldwide have enacted national restrictions prohibiting some or all wild animals in circuses.

Change is occurring in the United States as well.

FOUR PAWS reports that eight states and nearly 200 local jurisdictions across 37 states have adopted restrictions involving wild animals in circuses or traveling performances.

Those laws vary considerably. Some prohibit the use of wild animals entirely. Others apply only to particular species, traveling exhibitions or specific activities.

But collectively, they reveal something important:

Public policy surrounding wild animals as entertainment is changing.

WHY THE CHANGE?

The concerns extend beyond whether an individual performance appears entertaining or harmless.

Wild animals retain species-specific behavioral, social and environmental needs regardless of where they were born.

Traveling entertainment can introduce additional challenges: repeated transportation, temporary housing, restricted environments, unfamiliar surroundings and performance schedules that may provide limited opportunities for animals to control their own experiences.

And the conversation increasingly extends beyond traditional circuses.

Wild animals continue to be used in traveling shows, encounters, photo opportunities, rides and other forms of commercial entertainment.

That raises a broader question:

If our concerns are about the welfare of wild animals used for entertainment, should the ethical discussion depend upon whether the venue happens to call itself a circus?

THE CIRCUS DIDN’T DISAPPEAR:

Perhaps one of the most interesting examples of how entertainment can evolve comes from one of America’s most famous circus names.

When Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey returned in 2023, the production returned without animal acts.

The circus remained.

Human performers became the attraction.

That distinction matters because it challenges an assumption that persisted for generations:

Wild animals aren’t necessary to create wonder.

Circuses can evolve.

Entertainment can evolve.

And audiences can still be entertained without requiring wild animals to perform for them.

PROGRESS DOESN’T MEAN THE ISSUE IS OVER:

The growing number of restrictions doesn’t mean wild-animal entertainment has disappeared.

Laws differ substantially between countries, states and communities, and many forms of wildlife entertainment remain legal.

That is why understanding the broader trend matters.

The question isn’t simply whether circuses will continue to exist.

They clearly can.

The more important question is what role—if any—wild animals should have in entertaining us.

Around the world, governments, communities and entertainment companies are increasingly answering that question differently than generations before them.

Entertainment is evolving.

Perhaps our expectations should evolve with it.

Wild animals don’t need to perform for us to appreciate them.

And keeping wildlife wild doesn’t mean eliminating entertainment.

It means imagining entertainment that doesn’t depend upon wildlife.

 KeepingWildlifeWild.org

Evidence • Education • Accountability