{"id":6977,"date":"2018-02-09T08:00:37","date_gmt":"2018-02-09T16:00:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/animalliberationpressoffice.org\/NAALPO\/?p=6977"},"modified":"2018-02-09T08:00:37","modified_gmt":"2018-02-09T16:00:37","slug":"australias-stardust-circus-under-fire-for-being-cruel-and-inhumane","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/animalliberationpressoffice.org\/NAALPO\/2018\/02\/09\/australias-stardust-circus-under-fire-for-being-cruel-and-inhumane\/","title":{"rendered":"Australia\u2019s Stardust Circus under fire for being \u2018cruel\u2019 and \u2018inhumane\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>

Stardust Circus ringmaster Adam St. James takes to the stage on opening night in Bathurst, February 1, 2018.<\/p><\/div>\n

WORKERS at a popular Australian show are \u201cfearful for their safety\u201d after being swamped with abusive phone calls.<\/p>\n

IT\u2019S the eve of the Bathurst 12 Hour endurance race and most of the New South Wales country town\u2019s hotels are booked out as the buzz on Mount Panorama builds.<\/p>\n

\n

But the flash race cars and elite professionals who drive them aren\u2019t the only drawcards to the area this weekend.<\/p>\n

The controversial Stardust Circus has also rolled into town, with acrobats, clowns and animals \u2014 including African lions and rhesus macaque monkeys \u2014 in tow.<\/p>\n

It’s the largest animal circus in Australia and one of only two still operating in the country.<\/p>\n

Ringmaster Adam St. James has been in the job for 21 years and knows the show like the back of his hand. But tonight he\u2019s reeling.<\/p>\n

The circus has long been the target of widespread criticism and protests over its use of exotic animals for entertainment. Animal liberation groups have slammed it as \u201ccruel\u201d and \u201cinhumane\u201d. Stardust vehemently denies the claims and insists the animals are treated like \u201cfamily\u201d, \u201cenjoy\u201d being part of the act, and \u201calways come first\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re on display to the public 24 hours a day,\u201d Mr St. James says.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can have biosecurity or the RSPCA turn up here unannounced whenever.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf it was ever proven we had done something (wrong) to our animals we would be prosecuted and closed down.\u201d<\/p>\n

But the situation has recently taken a turn for the worse with some of those opposed to the circus \u201cbombarding (staff) with death threats\u201d and warning they will set its six lions free into the dark of the night, according to Mr St. James. He says bookings staff regularly receive abusive calls from protesters who tell them they \u201cshould be dead\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been to the police many times because of death threats aimed at the staff because we have exotic animals,\u201d he tells news.com.au.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve had people say they\u2019re going to come down in the middle of the night and cut the mesh of our enclosures and let the animals go (and that) they\u2019d like to see staff of the circus killed.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s getting to the point where a lot of our staff are quite fearful for their safety.<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone is entitled to their opinion, but for heaven\u2019s sake, does it really have to resort to this type of behaviour?\u201d<\/p>\n

Mr St. James is defiant in the face of critics and says the circus will never bow down to them and that Stardust will always be an animal circus.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur animals are our big draw card: lions, monkeys, ponies, goats, dogs and pigs,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

As showtime nears, the animals are brought backstage where they briefly wait in holding pens.<\/p>\n

Over the next hour and a half, the scene inside the red and orange striped big top is reminiscent a bygone era: lions walking on planks and inside metal wheels; monkeys riding miniature horses; horses performing synchronised dance; and goats climbing over ladders.<\/p>\n

The audience claps, cheers and oohs and aahs as the animals take their turns to perform their tricks.<\/p>\n

\u2018IT\u2019S WHAT THE PEOPLE WANT\u2019<\/b><\/p>\n

Despite mounting pressure to ban the use of animals in circuses, Mr St. James says there\u2019s still \u201chuge public demand\u201d to see the likes of lions and monkeys in the act.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor every one person who complains there\u2019s 3000 who want to come to the show,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Bathurst local Kimberley Demamiel has come to the circus to see the lions close up.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not on the bandwagon of people saying there shouldn\u2019t be animals in circuses,\u201d she tells news.com.au.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf they\u2019re well looked after like these are and enjoying being in the circus and doing what they\u2019re doing, which these ones obviously are, I think it\u2019s amazing.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow often are children in Bathurst going to see something like this close up?\u201d<\/p>\n

KEEPING IT IN THE FAMILY<\/b><\/p>\n

Janice Lennon and husband Lindsay own both of Australia\u2019s animal circuses: Lennon Bros and Stardust. Stardust Circus has about 30 staff members, about half featuring in the show while the other half is made up of mechanics, teachers and animal groomers.<\/p>\n

Ms Lennon\u2019s adult children from her first marriage \u2014 the Wests \u2014 and their young children make up the bulk of the act.<\/p>\n

They\u2019re sixth generation performers of the Lennon family, who founded Lennon Bros Circus in the 1890s.<\/p>\n

The lions, born and bred in captivity, also have close ties to the family as \u201c20th generation\u201d Stardust Circus animals.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll the animals in the circus are trained by positive reinforcement or the food for reward method,\u201d Mr St James says.<\/p>\n

The \u201cpositive reward method\u201d involves giving edible treats to the animals when they follow instructions and withholding them when they don\u2019t.<\/p>\n

Animal trainer Matthew Ezekial says that despite common belief, the lions aren\u2019t forced to jump through rings of fire and stockwhips are never used to frighten them into action. He says the lions are taught tricks, such as how to \u201csit\u201d and \u201cstay\u201d, from about six months of age.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe play with them as babies (and use) a toy and treats to get them to go where we want and figure out what they\u2019re good at and what they\u2019re not,\u201d Mr Ezekial says.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnce they know what they\u2019re doing we don\u2019t really need to train them anymore.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen they\u2019re in a good mood they\u2019re happy to let me do whatever I want. But when they\u2019ve had enough you need to heed that.\u201d<\/p>\n

The lions are fond of travelling between towns, according to the animal trainer.<\/p>\n

The Stardust Circus tours together for 10 months of the year, staying in each location for a minimum of one week and a maximum of four.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile we\u2019re driving they just sleep,\u201d Mr Ezekial says.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s relaxing so they watch the world go by.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey get a change of scenery all the time, change of smells, fresh grass and interaction with me and the other trainers, it\u2019s all stimulation.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf they didn\u2019t like it they\u2019d be showing signs of it …(but) they\u2019re very chilled and relaxed.\u201d<\/p>\n

But a playful relationship with the animals doesn\u2019t mitigate the risk of working with them.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a lesson the circus has learned the hard way.<\/p>\n

\u2018SHE ACCIDENTALLY KILLED A GUY\u2019<\/b><\/p>\n

Stardust Circus was struck by tragedy when Arna the circus elephant trampled handler Ray Williams to death in Yamba, on the NSW north coast, in 2007.<\/p>\n

An interim post-mortem examination revealed the 57-year-old\u2019s injuries \u2014 a broken back and a ruptured aorta \u2014 were the result of a \u201csevere blunt trauma\u201d sustained during the December attack.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe cause of death was a direct result of the elephant,\u201d the report states.<\/p>\n

Ms Lennon recalls the incident vividly.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was dreadful … We never thought (Arna) would do anything,\u201d she tells news.com.au.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut she accidentally killed a guy. It was a big mistake on the elephant\u2019s part.<\/p>\n

\u201cArna thought the guy had done something to the other elephant but he hadn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a shock to the system.\u201d<\/p>\n

At the time there were calls for the circus\u2019s license to be revoked. The family donated Arna and its second circus elephant to the Western Plains zoo in Dubbo.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe thought \u2018what if it happened again\u2019 so put them in the zoo,\u201d Ms Lennon says.<\/p>\n

\u201cArna almost fretted to death because she took it very hard.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe later died of a broken heart.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
\"Arna<\/div>\n

Arna the elephant was a circus animal until she trampled a handler to death and was retired to Dubbo zoo. She died \u201cof a broken heart\u201d a few years later.Source:News Limited<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Ms Lennon says the experience taught her that \u201can elephant is an animal you never trust\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can never trust any animal 100 per cent,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

But she doesn\u2019t have any concerns that one of the circus lions could also \u201cturn\u201d on a trainer.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re not stupid with them,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

\u201cI suppose it\u2019s just like any animal. You be careful. If you saw any warning signs like if it was having a bad day, you\u2019d be prepared for it.\u201d<\/p>\n

While the close-knit family business survived it was the last time Stardust would use elephants in its act. But it also marked a sharp shift in public attitudes towards the use of animals as entertainment.<\/p>\n

THE FIGHT TO BAN ANIMAL CIRCUSES<\/b><\/p>\n

The opposition to animals in circuses across Australia has been gaining momentum with several local councils banning them from performing in their areas of jurisdiction.<\/p>\n

Ms Lennon blames animal liberation groups for fuelling negative public opinion of the circus.<\/p>\n

\u201cAttitudes have changed because animal liberationists like to push their points across in their own way, making out circuses are horrible to their animals,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re always kind to our animals, we give them the best of everything.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Animal Justice Party will push its bill in the NSW Parliament to ban animal circuses statewide. The bill will amend the Exhibited Animals Protection Act 1986, to prohibit exhibition of specified animals within a circus, amusement park, fair or similar place of entertainment. Animal Justice Party NSW Circus Campaign Co-ordinator Rebecca See says training regimes and performances force circus animals to engage in unnatural behaviour for human entertainment.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen not \u2018performing\u2019, these animals are denied the opportunity to roam freely, form complex social groups, and manage their surroundings,\u201d Ms See says.<\/p>\n

PETA has campaigned against animal circuses in Australia and petitioned to ban them.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnimals used in circuses ae often beaten by trainers and spend most of their lives confined to cramped barren cages as they are carted from one performance to another,\u201d the petition reads.<\/p>\n

\u201cAustralia-based Lennon Bros and Stardust circuses continue to exploit animals, conducting barbaric training sessions behind closed doors.\u201d<\/p>\n

But according to Mr St. James, those opposed to animal circuses in Australia are simply \u201cuneducated\u201d on the matter.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople go on about how amazing the wild is, but let\u2019s be honest, in the wild animals are starving to death,\u201d he says.
\n\u201cA lion can go for a drink at the waterhole and can have its face chewed off by a crocodile. \u201cYou have rich Americans paying $50k to go and shoot these beautiful animals because they think they\u2019re a hero.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe wild is not this fabulous place that everyone makes out that it is.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2018THE LAST GENERATION\u2019<\/b><\/p>\n

Ms Lennon says the circus will \u201cstop when (they\u2019re) ready\u201d and not because \u201cminority groups\u201d tell them to.<\/p>\n

They may be fighting words but the pressure from critics has undeniably had an impact on the future of Stardust and the Lennon Bros. Exotic animals look set to no longer have a place in Australian circuses in about 10 years time.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s the main reason the Lennon and West families have decided not to not breed another generation of lions. The current one will be the circus\u2019s last.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnce they\u2019ve died off we wont replace them,\u201d Ms Lennon says.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut while they\u2019re here they\u2019re part of our family and family members.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mr St. James says the circus won\u2019t concede defeat.<\/p>\n

\u201cEventually it\u2019ll be that you can\u2019t have exotic animals in the circus but I don\u2019t think you\u2019ll ever stop domestic ones,\u201d Mr St. James says.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen the day comes and we can\u2019t have our lions anymore they\u2019ll be replaced with camels.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been the family\u2019s tradition since 1893 and we won\u2019t be bossed or bullied into being told we can\u2019t have animals.\u201d<\/p>\n

megan.palin@news.com.au<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0@Megan_Palin<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

WORKERS at a popular Australian show are \u201cfearful for their safety\u201d after being swamped with abusive phone calls. IT\u2019S the eve of the Bathurst 12 Hour endurance race and most of the New South Wales country town\u2019s hotels are booked out as the buzz on Mount Panorama builds. But the flash race cars and elite … <\/p>\n

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