Interaction

Public-Animal Interaction

Many circus animals such as big cats, elephants, monkeys and chimpanzees are dangerous. Members of the public must never be allowed to approach these animals unsupervised, and pictorial signs must be used on safety barriers to alert them to the danger.

Big cats

Only circus workers with whom big cats are familiar are permitted to have unsupervised and unrestricted close access to the cats’ facilities.

Members of the public must be restrained behind a safety barrier of at least 2 metres from the cats’ cage. Public access beyond the safety barrier is not allowed.

While on display, big cats must always have access to an area away from public view.

Dogs

Supervising staff must ensure that no circus dog is teased or abused by members of the public.

If a circus dog is unwell or frightened, it must be kept away from the public to minimise risk of further stress.

A dog's confinement must allow the animal to remove itself from public attention but still allow socialisation with other dogs.

Ungulates and camelids

Ungulates and camelids must be confined so they can avoid public attention if they wish to do so.

Under the supervision of authorised circus personnel, members of the public may pat and feed ungulates and camelids. The supervisor must ensure that the food is appropriate, that the animals are not stressed or mistreated, and that the public are not put at risk.

Elephants

Members of the public must never be allowed to approach an elephant unsupervised. Elephants can be dangerous, and pictorial signs must be used on safety barriers to alert the public to this fact.

Elephants must be confined so they can avoid public attention if they wish to do so.

Monkeys and chimpanzees

Safety barriers must be placed at far enough distance from the primates’ exhibit to ensure that the animals and the public cannot come into physical contact.

Primates must always have access to alcoves where they can retire from public view.

Birds

Display cages birds must have a solid partition or small box into where birds can retreat from public view.

Interaction Between Animals

Big cats

Lions

Lions are social animals with a well-defined hierarchy within their colonies (prides), so direct interaction between colony members is essential. It is vital to house lions together and for them to have frequent contact with their keepers.

Lions requiring temporary separation from the rest of the pride must be provided with the display space requirements. The requirement excludes periods when the animal is separated from the rest of the group for veterinary treatment. In this case, the veterinarian will advise on the confinement space necessary.

Any wagon used to transport lions must be able to be divided into separate compartments for each lion if required. [1]

Tigers

It is acceptable to house tigers together if there is no antagonism between them.

Any wagon used to hold tigers must be able to be divided into separate compartments for each tiger if required. [2]

Leopards

Leopard facilities must provide for the separate transport, display and feeding of all leopards. [3]

Dogs

Dogs' strong hierarchical tendency tends to make colony situations self-regulating. Keepers should intervene and provide alternate housing if a dog is being constantly attacked or if an attack is likely to lead to serious injury or death of a dog.

A retreat area must always be provided for each dog so that it can separate itself from the group.

Ungulates and camelids

As social herd animals, ungulates and camelids must always have visual access to one another. [4]

Elephants

Elephants are social herd animals and must therefore always be able to see and touch other elephants. There must be compelling reasons to separate them.

Monkeys and chimpanzees

An awareness of the hierarchy within the primate colony is essential to minimise physical and mental injury from fighting and bullying.

Because primates can recognise individual humans and become bonded to them, they can display jealousy. This must be considered when determining the composition of primate groups sharing the same cage.

Primates must have visual contact with one another, even where incompatibility requires physical separation.

Where two animals are incompatible, visual barriers must be provided within their enclosure so that they can remove themselves from each other’s sight.

Where possible, primates must be housed in a group but each animal, regardless of its social status in the colony, must be able to retire to somewhere that gives it privacy from other group members.

Birds

Compatible birds may be housed together if the display cage is large enough to prevent harassment by cage mates.

The personal space required by each bird depends entirely on the bird's species and temperament.

[1] It may be necessary to separate lions if hierarchy is enforced to the detriment of one or more of them. This occurs most commonly during feeding time, but will also occur if a lioness is in oestrus, or if a frustrated male displays sexual aggression to a lesser male. Fights over dominance are often unavoidable, but separation may sometimes be counterproductive if it prevents the issue at hand from being properly resolved, and sometimes can prolong the aggression and resentment.

[2] Tigers are less social than lions. A hierarchy will always form, and this should be observed, evaluated and taken into account when handling or housing them. Tigers must be fed separately as they are accustomed in the wild to feeding solitarily on their kills.

[3] Of all the big cats, tigers tend to behave most like a domestic cat. They tend to be solitary although some individuals will tolerate the sharing of their cage if they are 'old friends' - but this is the exception. Therefore, there must be provision to transport, display and feed all leopards separately.

[4] Most ungulates will only assert dominance over other colony members if there is something that can't be shared equally between them. This may be feed, an oestrus female, or a choice spot in the enclosure. Therefore, feed should be made equally available as should 'good' areas of the enclosure. During the mating season, rival males may have to be separated, and males and females may have to be separated if breeding is not desired.