Ring of Cruelty - An Investigation into Animal Circuses in Ireland in 2006

Hippo, rhino, giraffe

'The sounds of, and contact with, other hippos is important for fulfilment of normal behavioural needs and this animal is deprived of that most basic commodity: company of its own kind.'

In short, it is disgraceful that one of the world's most endangered species, the white rhino, is travelling in a circus and being shunted back and forth across Europe.'

'This giraffe is not coping with this environment or life and should not be kept in a circus of any description.'

Animals used in circuses in Ireland in 2006 include a hippo and rhino at Circus Vegas and a giraffe at the Royal Russian Circus.

The hippo and rhino were imported from the Italian circus Il Florilego and the giraffe from Germany.

The hippo’s ‘act’ consists of being walked into the ring and fed some bread by his handler.

The rhino runs around the ring with the presenter standing on his back.

The giraffe is walked around the ring and fed bread by audience members.

Outside the ring, all three animals were confined to small areas that provided no enrichment to meet the animals’ social or behavioural requirements. Hippos and giraffes naturally require the company of others of their own species; rhinos should have the choice of spending time with their own kind or being solitary. In these circuses, all three species are held solitary.

The hippo has a small metal “tank of filthy water, smelling of, and clearly laden with, faeces” and was even unable to submerge fully.

Being unable to submerge properly, and having unclean water can result in physical health problems.

Samantha Lindley: “rhinos have extremely sensitive olfactory (smell) sense and poor eyesight. The overwhelming noise, flashing lights and competing smells will have been alarming to this animal.”

The rhino was held in a small pen. “There are no scratching posts provided; these are important for skin and behavioural health. Rhinos require both wet and dry wallows, but this enclosure has neither.”

“The rhino and hippo are deprived of basic behavioural and physical needs.”

Outside of the ring, giraffe Shakira was confined to a small pen where children crowded around to feed grass to her.

“Giraffes require, as the minimum, a large space (certainly in excess of half an acre) and a variety of habitats. A variety of substrates including sand, mud and a hard packed surface are essential, along with shade and pools. Overhanging browse is the minimal requirement for delivery of feed.”

“There is ample reason for this animal to be frustrated in any attempt to behave normally... This giraffe paced and neck stretched, both signs of abnormal behaviour. The pacing was evident at times even through the distraction of offered food. She paced in front of the open lorry from one side of the enclosure to the other, neck stretched over the bars, turned in an identical manner on each occasion and returned to the other side. Neck stretching occurred randomly at other times: this is a behaviour that is obviously normal in giraffes as they reach for browse, but which can occur in the absence of browse, in which case it is deemed abnormal (performs no useful function) but fills a behavioural vacuum.”

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