HOST : Circus animals lead agonizingly cruel and stressful lives, being confined to small cages and constantly transported thousands of miles from city to city.
Life on the road does not provide them an opportunity to have adequate food, water, exercise and veterinary care. Indeed, most circuses operate for nearly fifty weeks of the year; with the weather varying from extremely hot to freezing cold. The animals re usually transported in the backs of trucks with barely enough room to move.
Lacking social interaction, mental stimulation and physical exercise, these animals often go insane with boredom and exhibit behaviors typically seen in abused animals such as head rocking, repetitive movements and chewing their own limbs. They often fall sick due to unhygienic conditions and lack of exercise.
HOST : Welcome, noble viewers. In 2009, to stop the cruelty involved in animal circuses, Bolivia banned the use of all wild and domesticated animals in traveling circuses.
Wild animals or certain species have already been prohibited in circuses in Austria, Costa Rica, Croatia, Israel, Singapore, Finland and Denmark. Bolivia distinguished herself as the first to ban both wild and domestic animals from circuses.
Ms. Ana Serrano Robollo, co-founder and president of 『Love for the Animals - Bolivia』 was a co-author of the law. She had initiated the campaign for the decision, with the support of The Honorable Ximena Flores, Member of the Bolivian Congress, and UK-based animal protection group Animal Defenders International.