The Magic And Abuse Of Animals
We’ve all seen a rabbit coming out of a hat or a circus show with big elephants and tigers. But do we really know if the living conditions of these animals are adequate? Today, we’re going to talk about magic and animal abuse.
Ethics in animal magic
Magic is, of course, something that relies on illusion to make us see things that seem impossible. Rabbits coming out of hats, pigeons that appear by surprise and other tricks that delight, especially, the younger ones.
But more and more people are wondering about the ‘non-magical’ part of these shows : where did this pigeon or rabbit come from that wasn’t there before?
When we talk about magic and animal abuse, this also includes the training and testing animals are subjected to. On many occasions, excessive repetition of tricks influences the animal in a very negative way, which can act automatically and without its own will. In some cases it can even lead to death.
While it’s true that many magicians claim to treat their animals as carefully as possible, sometimes that’s not enough.
Therefore, it is vitally important to make an ethical commitment to animals. This includes both professionals and spectators, as it is possible to enjoy as much or even more of the magic if we do it without the animals.
The magic and abuse of animals in circuses
We’ve all been to the circus at least once and enjoyed its magic to a greater or lesser degree. As children, we might not have been able to understand the suffering that bears, elephants, or lions we saw under a circus tent were subjected to.
During the show, we may not realize it, but there are a number of reasons why an animal can be mistreated in a circus:
- The animal is far from its natural habitat.
- It does not have the necessary living conditions.
- Your diet is not adequate or insufficient.
- Animals are forced to exercise or repeat routines.
- On many occasions, they receive abusive treatment.
There are numerous cases of circus organizations that have been denounced for animal abuse. For example, in 2018, the Federation of Animal Protection Associations of Granada (Fegrapa) in Spain denounced the situation of several animals in a circus.
In addition to the unhealthy situation in which they found several species, including a hippopotamus exposed to the sun and without water, they also found that those responsible did not have the necessary permits. This type of situation, in which neither the health nor the administrative conditions of the animals are respected, has been denounced in recent years.
What’s the solution?
It is evident that reversing the situation and avoiding animal abuse requires several solutions. As we’ve already mentioned, giving up animals in magic shows is an option.
In the case of circuses, the alternatives are varied. A good example can be found in Germany, where a circus organization decided to use 3D animal holograms, with which it gets a spectacular result and prevents more animals from suffering.
Despite these initiatives, there is still a lot to be done. But it is clear that it is possible to have fun with magic and the circus without any animal having to suffer.
