According to a statement released by Animals Asia, Oriental Circus has publicly announced that they will stop using land animals in their traveling circus.
For animals in Indonesia’s Oriental Circus, life is an endless round of drudgery and cruelty.
Since 1967, the troupe has forced animals including elephants, tigers, birds, and snakes to travel all over the country in cramped conditions, spending the majority of their lives chained, and unable to express any natural behaviors.
But now the circus has surprised many by publicly declaring that they will stop using animals in traveling shows. They are Indonesia’s last traveling troupe exclusively featuring land animals in their performances. The country’s remaining traveling circuses continue to use aquatic animals, which needs to end as well!
Oriental Circus is currently performing for three weeks in Solo, Central Java, with the company’s website announcing these shows will be the animals’ last on the road.
“We have campaigned against the Oriental Circus for many years and were delighted when we initially heard they were planning to stop the cruelty. Now, we have confirmation that the traveling shows will end and there are rumors an upcoming government ban on traveling animal circuses may be the reason, Animal Welfare Director of Animals Asia, Dave Neal, said in a statement,
“While there has been no official verification of this, if true, this would be a huge step forward for animal welfare in Indonesia. Pivotally, it could end Indonesia’s shameful traveling dolphin circuses, which sees dolphins loaded onto planes to be transported between islands.”
When Animals Asia’s Indonesia partner, Scorpion Foundation, visited Oriental Circus in Cikampek, West Java, on September 8th, they found that the circus was cancelling some shows due to the lack of customers.
Oriental Circus is owned by the Taman Safari Park and it is likely that the travelling animals will be sent to this facility when the circus ends.
“Taman Safari Park’s welfare standards fall far below what we expect, but the reality is it is probably the best available facility for these animals in Indonesia right now,” continued Neal. “Ending the performances, and particularly the conditions of travel would be a huge improvement to the animals’ lives.”
Animals Asia has opposed Indonesia’s traveling dolphin circus, known as “Sirkus Lumba-lumba”, since 2017. Nearly 40,000 people signed a petition asking Sriwijawa Air to end their cruel dolphin flights, but the airline ignored the calls for compassion.
The traveling circus dolphins are owned by Ancol Dreamland and Wersit Seguni Indonesia which also operate dolphin circus shows at their static facilities.
“Indonesia’s traveling dolphin circus simply must end for the country to have any form of accountability in regard to animal welfare,” stated Neal. “While many of the individual animals would likely have to continue performing in static facilities, at least it would show that the country has some respect for welfare, as well as helping to reduce demand for such shows and therefore the amount of wild capture for the entertainment industry.”
Please sign this petition and demand that Sriwijaya Air END its complicity in the cruel captive dolphin industry! HERE!
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