Animal shows not all bad

Lately, some animal rights activists have advocated that there should be no animal shows in Beijing, which has triggered much public debate. However, the real issue is how to protect the animals better, says an article in China Youth Daily. Excerpts:

Some local legislators, together with animal rights organizations, have proposed that all the zoos, including aquariums and animal parks in Beijing, should ban all animal performances. However, some people have criticized the proposal, arguing that although performances, such as wire walking and jumping through rings of fire, are indeed dangerous and harmful to animals, the animal shows in zoos are not a bad thing, in fact, it is a way for people, especially children, to get to know various animals and nurture their love for animals.

According to the research of animal protection organizations, many animal shows are harmful to animals or teach them skills against their will. For example, China's zoo observation, which began in 2011, found that harmful performances took place in 50 percent of the nation's 40 zoos. Although China has regulations to prohibit animal torture, the regulations do not work since they only set the rules without specifying the punishments. Moreover, many people still rely on animal shows to make a living, making a ban useless.

It is not wise to stop all the animal shows, as not all animal performances are against nature. We should learn more about the animals' habits and improve their welfare, and ban all harmful performances. Then the move can be regard as protection for animals.

(China Daily 05/03/2012 page9)