Where do captive animals come from?

Animals held in zoos, circuses, aquariums, laboratories, and canned hunting ranches are often bred in captivity, and cannot be returned to the wild. After animals in circuses, for example, have outlived their usefulness as performers, they are either permanently relegated to winter quarters (often cramped cages) or are sold to other circuses, roadside zoos, or private menageries.

We at PETA prefer to learn about animals on their terms, in their own natural environments—not at their expense. To learn more about what goes on behind the scenes at circuses, marine parks, roadside zoos, and other facilities, see PETA’s factsheets on the use of animals in the “entertainment” industry.