Circus cruelty coming to your town? Here's what you can do.

It’s the 21st Century – a time for Netflix, virtual reality, smartphones and cat cafes. In this day and age, condemning wild animals like lions and monkeys to a ‘life’ of constant travel, confinement and forcing them to perform demeaning ‘tricks’ for ‘entertainment’ is not only kind of archaic – it’s straight up cruel.

Yet in Australia, it’s still legal to keep exotic animals in circuses, and legal requirements are totally inadequate to protect their welfare. If you agree that the ‘big top’ is no place for a wild animal, then here’s what you can do if you hear that an exotic animal circus is planning to visit your area.

Tell your family and friends about the cruelty behind the big top, and explain to your children why you won’t take them to a circus with exotic animals. Here are some points to mention.

An increasing number of Australian councils are taking an ethical stance by adopting a ban on exotic animal circuses on council land, and you can encourage your council to do the same! If you find out that an exotic animal circus is coming your way, write or phone your council, and encourage all of your friends and family in the area to follow suit.

If you want to have your voice heard when an animal circus is coming to your town, you can consider writing a letter to the editor of your local paper, and speaking on talk-back radio about the cruelty involved in animal circuses and why they should be banned. The more people who speak up, the better!

Our animal circuses flyer is a helpful tool to raise awareness. Print out as many copies as you can for letterbox drops, notice boards, in waiting rooms, etc. Accompanying this flyer are more ideas on how to take action when an animal circus is in town.

Join the worldwide movement!

By speaking out against circus cruelty, you’re joining a worldwide movement away from animal circuses — and toward a kinder world. The most entertaining circus productions rely exclusively on the skills of their talented human performers, proving that you don’t need cruelty to make a circus. Make a stand by pledging to never support exotic animal circuses — why not check out a great animal-free act when they tour to a town near you!