Stopping Animals in Entertainment

Previously published Jun. 1, 2022

The ancient Romans did it. They had over 1,000,000 wild animals killed in amphitheaters purely for human enjoyment. The ancient Greeks did it. They slaughtered animals in their Olympics. So many more ancient civilizations were entertained with hunting wildlife, but even with all the advancements society has made in the past thousands of years, mistreating and killing animals has not been solved and isn’t a new issue, either. Animals in entertainment are seen everywhere, whether in animal circuses, films, or even some sports, too.

If there are so many examples of animal entertainment in our modern world, why are we still allowing it to continue? To put it simply, it is entertainment, and people love entertainment. The reason why countries like Spain have bullfighting, where bulls are starved and isolated only to be killed in the fight, is because people are amused by it. Thus, animals continue to be used for entertainment, even when they are deprived of simple necessities. Being confined in cages prevents movement. In fact, many circus animals travel for most of the year in these cages without temperature control or separate spaces for sleeping and eating. For example, marine animals are accustomed to swimming 40-100 miles a day in the water, but when in a tank, their movement starts to turn into static patterns. Animals aren’t actors, and they aren’t born to jump through rings of fire or ride bicycles. They don’t have a choice, either, and films are no better. Hundreds of films have reports of mistreating and abusing their animals while filming, including Flicka, First Blood, and Life of Pi. Each year, hundreds of millions of animals are separated from their natural habitats to be used for different sources of animal entertainment. Although animals continue to be hurt in entertainment, many organizations are working towards solutions. This includes the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and the Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF). To stop this cruelty, you can sign petitions, avoid places like animal circuses and visit animal sanctuaries instead, and inform others.

I strongly believe that animals in entertainment is wrong, and that things like animal circuses should be banned in more countries, including the United States. Animals don’t deserve to be used and treated so terribly, and they shouldn’t be confined in cages with such miserable living conditions. In conclusion, I find that tormenting animals for enjoyment is unethical and immoral.