A Fitting First for Saskatchewan's Shriners
By Lynne Bell
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听听听听听听听听听听听 The circus is coming to town, but it's going to look a little different this year.
听听听听听听听听听听听 The province's Wawa Shriners-who sponsor the shows under the Big Top-have tweaked tradition by removing exotic animals from the program, replacing them with a circus that features more horses, as well as aerial, high-wire, and dance performances with a comedic edge. In addition, it will be renamed 鈥淭he Equestrian and M'ceo Show.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 The Saskatchewan Shriners' contract with the business that supplied elephants and other exotic animals for the circus expired, which prompted the club to re-examine their options.
听听听听听听听听听听听 The Shriner's provincial circus event chair, Stuart Larson told The Regina Leader Post: 鈥淥ur moral compass doesn't point us in that direction anymore. The last couple of years we have been concerned with the opinion of people and we're cognizant of that and feel the same.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淭hese animals weren't meant to be in that world and were put into that service. We just don't agree with it. So we are distancing ourselves from that and going forward with a new model.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 Larson added that the incorporation of a more horse-heavy performance model made sense for two reasons- citing both Saskatchewan's agricultural roots and children's inherent enjoyment of animals-which made eliminating animals entirely from the show an undesirable option.
听听听听听听听听听听听 The show will be the first of its kind in Canada, but Larson admits: 鈥淚t's sort of distanced us from the rest of the Shrine world.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 Traditionalists may wring their hands, but I think this is an idea that should be embraced by Shriners' groups across the country, for two reasons.
听听听听听听听听听听听 Firstly, although there are still wild horses, the horse is largely a domesticated animal, unlike elephants, bears, monkeys and other species that are co-opted into circus service, which is at best, a highly stressful environment for them, and at worst, a highly inhumane and even torturous one.
听听听听听听听听听听听 In the pre-Google past, circus audiences were largely unaware of the undesirable effects of circus life on animals that are undomesticated and forced into an alien environment to 鈥減erform鈥� under duress.
听听听听听听听听听听听 However, most of us no longer have the luxury of ignorance regarding the reality of circus life for exotic animals; and Saskatchewan's Shriners are to be commended for coming up with a compromise that will satisfy audiences and their consciences.
听听听听听听听听听听听 And the second reason? Shriners Hospitals-which are partially-funded by events like the Shrine Circus.
听听听听听听听听听听听 听鈥淎s Shriners, our purpose and (reason for) being is the hospital system,鈥漵aid Larson to the Leader Post. 鈥淲e have 22 hospitals across North America and basically those hospital systems are meant for the children who can't get the care in Canada or the U.S. that we offer.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 Now, who can argue with that?听
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From the circus to a conservation site
By Kelly Running
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听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 As a kid, the circus was soooo exciting. We always got tickets for the one in Swift Current and I remember how excited I was to go each year. After all they brought in these amazing animals and did cool stunts like the guy on a dirt bike in a giant ball, he got going so fast he was completely sideways!
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Older now, I realize that although the exotic animals are a great attraction for kids who are fascinated with elephants and the like it鈥檚 not really a life for such a large animal.
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 The Wawa Shriners usually have exotic animals, but as the contract to bring exotic animals to Saskatchewan expired, they decided to go in a different direction. This year they will be hosting an equestrian show which being as Saskatchewan is heavily agricultural will be enjoyed, as people marvel at the talents of the riders and the abilities of the horses. Also to be featured are aerial, high wire, and dance performers.
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Sounds like a great show and I feel as though taking care of a horse would be a little easier than caring for an elephant.
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Children absolutely love animals and this is why the Shriners want to keep some in the show. Stuart Larson, provincial circus event chairman with the Shriners, is excited to bring a show that is along the lines of a Cirque du Soleil performance over the traditional circus thereby appealing to kids and adults alike.
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 The 145-year-old Ringling Bros. circus, 鈥淭he Greatest Show on Earth,鈥� has also held its final shows featuring elephants.
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Public concerns had created pressure in regards to the well-being of the elephants in the circus with activists criticizing the circus for forcing intelligent animals with complex social relationships in the wild to live a life of captivity and isolation.
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 These 11 elephants which took part in the final show will head to the Ringling Bros. Center for Elephant Conservation, along with approximately 30 others, to the 鈥渓argest Asian elephant herd in the Western Hemisphere.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 The larger the animal the more difficult it must be to take care of them as well. So, I think it鈥檚 likely a good thing to stop taking exotic animals on tour. Personally I鈥檇 much rather see an animal in the wild, if it鈥檚 dangerous maybe from a ways away, but I definitely prefer to see them in the wild, their natural habitat.
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 I don鈥檛 know about other people, but I always wonder about why people do what we do. Why do we dress monkeys up, train elephants to do balancing acts, and have a fascination with putting animals, especially exotic ones, on display? Although I love zoos I sometimes wonder if they鈥檙e the best place for animals, in an enclosure. Yes I鈥檓 sure they鈥檙e well taken care of but it鈥檚 not really natural for an animal to live in an enclosure.
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 It does seem like a double standard, however, that animals considered pets are kept in an enclosure. A backyard, tied to a chain, in a cage, etc鈥� We see them as part of the family and we make sure they get exercise and are fed, but it鈥檚 typical in society to keep these animals because we love them and aren鈥檛 making money off of their abilities to do tricks, maybe? I鈥檓 not really sure. But somehow a pet is different than an exotic animal鈥� the only real difference though, is that a dog or cat, even a horse, were domesticated many years ago.
听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 As Lynne put it after I made this comment, 鈥淲e are walking contradictions sometimes!鈥�
