Ban on animals leaves Big Top in trouble

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http://www.timesofindia.com/today/24mban35.htm

 

The Times of India Online

Tuesday

24 April 2001

 

Ban on animals leaves Big Top in trouble

By Stanley G. Pinto

 

MANGALORE: The Union government's decision to clamp a ban on the performance

of animals has left many circus companies doing a trapeze act.

 

The managements of circus companies have filed a writ petition in the

Supreme Court against the order which bans commercial use of lions, tigers,

panthers, monkeys and bear. The Kerala and Karnataka high courts also have

passed an interim order banning animals in circus; the Supreme Court is

likely to pass an order in July.

 

Hit hard by the order and the hyper-drive of animal rights activists, Jumbo

Circus owner Ajay Shankar said: ``Animals were better off in circuses than

in any other place. Proof? Take a look at my animals.''

 

``There is not much of freedom of movement for animals, though. But we don't

ill-treat them.'' He alleged that rampant corruption in the zoos had put the

lives of animals " at stake " .

 

To buttress his argument that animals are never ill-treated, he claimed that

no case has been booked under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972.

 

Jumbo Circus has 30 lions, 15 tigers, four panthers, seven elephants, 15

horses, four camels, a chimp and many of birds and dogs. Lions, tigers and

panthers are now confined to their cages.

 

Maintaining that the expenditure of the company runs into nearly Rs 75,000 a

day, Shankar deplored that circus companies were struggling hard to survive

in India whereas other countries had included them under " government

patronage " . ``This has led to the closure of some circus companies like

Kamal, Oriental, Bharath and Prabhat.''

 

Admitting that animals are whip-lashed sometimes, Shankar asked bemusedly:

``If animal activists are concerned about animal rights, why are they

turning a blind eye towards training of racing horses and elephants in

temples? They can't touch both -- while one has a powerful grip on the

government, the other will play on religious sentiments.''

 

Suma Ramesh of Animal Care Trust said the animals in Jumbo Circus were

" reasonably happy and their condition was satisfactory " . ``But the condition

of animals in other circuses is pathetic.'' About rehabilitation, she

claimed the Shimoga and Bannerghatta centres were good for in-bred animals.

 

Now the big task: A tightrope walk for Big Top.