‘Tigers’ to Rally in Support of Ban on Animal Circuses

PETA to Call On Los Angeles to Expand Bullhook Ban and Prohibit the Use and Abuse of Tigers, Lions, and Other Animals

Led by three costumed “tigers,” dozens of PETA supporters will gather in Los Angeles to call on the city to prohibit using tigers, lions, and other wild animals in circuses. The action comes after the city passed a ban on bullhooks—weapons that resemble a fireplace poker with a sharp metal hook on one end—which trainers use to beat elephants and force them to perform.

Where:           200 N. Spring St., Los Angeles

When:             Thursday, July 7, 12 noon

“Los Angeles set an example for the country by passing a law to protect elephants, and now it’s time to spare lions, tigers, and other animals the pain of being caged and beaten in traveling shows,” says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. “PETA is calling for an all-out ban on using and abusing wild animals in circuses.”

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to use for entertainment”—notes that wild animals in circuses are often torn away from their mothers as babies and confined to filthy cages or boxcars for up to 23 hours a day. These animals are forced to do tricks under the threat of being whipped, beaten, or shocked with an electric prod and commonly suffer from chronic health problems as well as psychological disorders and die prematurely.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.