PETA Statement: Former Ringling Trainer Bitten by Tiger, yet Circus Act Continues

For Immediate Release:
October 25, 2016

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Below, please find a statement from PETA Foundation Associate Director of Captive Animal Law Enforcement Rachel Mathews in response to the incident today in which an animal handler with Circus Pages was bitten by a tiger named Ghandi at the Pensacola Interstate Fair:

It’s never a surprise when captive tigers lash out in frustration, stress, and anxiety stemming from being locked in a tiny cage, deprived of everything that is natural and important to them, and forced to perform tricks that they do not understand—all for fleeting human amusement. It happened today when a tiger bit a former Ringling Bros. employee, and it will continue to happen as long as circuses drag these big cats from town to town, keeping them in fear and forcing them to perform under threat of whips and goads, as documented in a recent expert report. PETA is calling on circuses to end exotic-animal acts for the safety of the public, employees, and the animals and is urging people to stay away from these cruel displays.

PETA’s motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to use for entertainment.”