According to
a recent study done by the Netherland government to discover the state of wild
animals used in circuses, the results were loud and clear. 71% of the circus
animals observed suffered medical problems. 33% of the wildcats, tigers, and
lions were deprived of access to an outdoor enclosure. 66% of the wild animals
were starved or malnourished. Finally, the lions observed were shown to spend
98% of their time indoors, and elephants were chained over 17 hours a day.
As for marine mammals, the facts are just as horrendous. Did you know that an orca in the wild has never killed a human being before? In captivity, since 1991, four people have been killed by orcas. Even worse, over half of marine mammal workers and trainers have been injured by the animals they work with on a daily basis. Over one-third of the injuries are classified as severe – including deep wounds, fractures, or requiring stitches. Of the 200 orcas now kept in captivity, two dozen (10%) have injured or killed people.
Furthermore, life expectancy for dolphins and orcas are substantially lower in captivity than in the wild. Dolphins live up to 40-50 years in the wild. However, at SeaWorld San Antonio, the average lifespan of a captive-bred dolphin is four years, and at SeaWorld San Diego, 24 dolphins perished from pneumonia within 25 years. Less than twenty orcas are reported to have survived more than 20 years in captivity, while maximum life expectancy in the wild is 60 to 90 years.
As for marine mammals, the facts are just as horrendous. Did you know that an orca in the wild has never killed a human being before? In captivity, since 1991, four people have been killed by orcas. Even worse, over half of marine mammal workers and trainers have been injured by the animals they work with on a daily basis. Over one-third of the injuries are classified as severe – including deep wounds, fractures, or requiring stitches. Of the 200 orcas now kept in captivity, two dozen (10%) have injured or killed people.
Furthermore, life expectancy for dolphins and orcas are substantially lower in captivity than in the wild. Dolphins live up to 40-50 years in the wild. However, at SeaWorld San Antonio, the average lifespan of a captive-bred dolphin is four years, and at SeaWorld San Diego, 24 dolphins perished from pneumonia within 25 years. Less than twenty orcas are reported to have survived more than 20 years in captivity, while maximum life expectancy in the wild is 60 to 90 years.