Environment, Food and Rural Affairs CommitteeWritten evidence submitted by Feld Entertainment Inc
Feld Entertainment, Inc. is the leading producer of live, family entertainment and is the parent company of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey®, Disney On Ice and Disney Live as well as Feld Motor Sports® events, including Monster Jam®, Monster Energy® Supercross, AMA Arenacross, and Nuclear Cowboyzsm. Feld Entertainment productions have appeared in 74 countries and entertain over 30 million fans a year.
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® (also known as The Greatest Show On Earth®) comprises three self-contained touring circus units that travel by rail and truck to present shows in arenas throughout the United States and to Canada and Mexico. Ringling Bros. shows also have toured in Europe and Japan. The traveling community includes hundreds of artists and specialty staff, family members, school teachers, translators, trainers and a variety of animals including the Ringling Bros. herd of pachyderms (the largest herd of Asian elephants in the Western Hemisphere) for which the circus is famous. Like all other circuses in the United States, Ringling Bros.’ animal operations are licensed and inspected by the United States Department of Agriculture as well as by numerous state and local governmental authorities. Ringling Bros. is proud of its human and animal partnerships and the physical and behavioral needs of our animals are a top priority that can be seen in every city we visit.
Feld Entertainment has long supported conservation programs to preserve the endangered Asian elephant. Achievements include the establishment of the Ringling Bros. Center for Elephant Conservation® in 1995 for elephant conservation, research and retirement, contributions to a number of important in situ conservation projects in Asia, and the birth of twenty-five elephants. The Ringling Bros. program is the most successful breeding program outside of Asia and is vital given that there are less than 35,000 Asian elephants left in the world. Feld Entertainment was a Founding Member of the International Elephant Foundation (IEF) and continues to provide a leadership role in IEF through provision of both funds and expertise. In recent years, Feld Entertainment has initiated a new program focusing on the conservation of endangered species of felines such as tigers and leopards.
1.Feld Entertainment notes the Government’s concurrence that a ban on animals in the circus cannot be justified on animal welfare grounds. It also congratulates the Government on the new regulations for licensing and inspecting circuses which can be expected not only to serve animal welfare purposes but to provide transparency and fairness for circus proprietors and presenters working in England and Wales.
2.Feld Entertainment is of the view that traditional circus —like any other performing art or cultural activity—contributes to a rich social fabric without the need for demonstrating any other benefits derived from the animals “to justify their use”. Nevertheless, it is clearly inaccurate to say that there is “little or no educational, conservational, research or economic benefit derived from wild animals in travelling circuses.”
3.Traditional circuses, including Ringling Bros., are tax-paying family businesses that operate based on ticket sales from the public that wish to enjoy them. Traditional circuses also bring real economic benefit to the communities they visit by hiring local venues, staff, services and supplies, and because the circus management and staff patronize local businesses during their stays (restaurants, laundry services, etc).
4.Ringling Bros.’ significant, long-standing and ongoing contributions to species and habitat conservation as well as scientific research both in situ and ex situ cannot be questioned. These contributions far exceed what is mandated by U.S. law and are motivated by our commitment to our animals. While Ringling Bros. may be a leader in the field, other circuses can and do contribute to conservation and research. It is posited that the circuses in the United Kingdom would be able to contribute to such important causes should they be given the opportunity to conduct their activities pursuant to the new licensing system without threat of their very business being banned by the government.
5.The argument that endangered or threatened species should be used only for conservation, education and/or the greater good of the species and/or natural environment is at odds with the previous argument complaining that traditional circuses provide little or any economic benefit. As further noted below, it is the economic activity generated by circus performances that provides the resources to support conservation.
6.The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), a treaty on trade in animals to which the U.K. is party, explicitly allows for the international movement of animals in “travelling zoo, circus, menagerie … or other travelling exhibitions”. CITES, Art. VII, para. 7. The movement of animals that form part of circuses and other travelling exhibits is facilitated through the issuance of a special certificate. CITES, Res. Conf. 12.3 (rev. COP15). Animals qualify for this special treatment when they are “pre-Convention” as is the case with many elderly circus and zoo elephants or born and bred in captivity (eg, elephants or tigers). The CITES prohibition on commercial activity does not extend to these animals; neither does it apply to animals that are not considered endangered (eg, lions). Not only does the internationally agreed CITES specifically provide for animals in the circus, in many cases it is the economics of the use of animals (be it circus, hunting, or other public display) that generate the much needed funds for conservation.
7.Ringling Bros. is proud that one of its two large travelling shows “Dragons” currently on tour features Mr. Alexander Lacey, British born and bred animal trainer and presenter, whose incredible tigers and lions also were born and bred or descended from cats in England. Performing for tens of thousands of people each week, Mr. Lacey and his animals not only entertain but inspire. Through program books, DVDs, websites, videos, educational material, and visits to the animal housing area, the public, both young and old, are informed about the animals’ biology, care and training and the natural habitats and conservation needs of their wild cousins. Mr. Lacey is a shining example of a highly successful circus animal trainer and presenter, dedicated to carrying on the family profession of raising, training and presenting well-kept, thriving animals in the circus. The proposed Bill would prevent Mr. Lacey from ever returning to his homeland and would deprive the people of England of the circus tradition they created.
8.The current debate is not about animal welfare; it is about the ability of audiences to experience animals up close and in person in a performance setting. Not everybody agrees with the opinion of certain activists that animals in captivity must necessarily be abused, sad or sick—reasonable people can see for themselves and are free to conclude that the animals are happy and healthy. Individuals have the right to decide whether such shows have value to them and whether they want to see human/animal interactions.
9.Circuses are an art form steeped in tradition and rich in history and recognized as culturally significant and should not be censored because of the philosophical beliefs of some regarding animals in captivity. The proposed censorship should be rejected.
May 2013
