[tim]

Elephants and human beings have lived peaceably together in society for many centuries (particularly in India.) There is no reason why they can not do so in circuses and other areas of entertainment business which expose people to these exotic animals; enabling us to respect them and find them as our friends.

HOW the animals are presented is always an act of developing sensibility. Clyde Beatty was noted as a large cat trainer par excellence. His act was in a "fighting cat" style which offered the understanding of great danger against wild beast where man risked his life to tame them. Gunther Gebel Williams had an entirely different style which focused on the more humane relationship of intimacy between animal and human beings. Was one right and the other wrong? I don't think so. Instead, they brought to light distinct aspects of the overall reality.

Similarly, it was once perceived as "cute" to have animals perform tasks which imitated human behavior. Now, this sort of thing is less in vogue, and people often prefer to see them do things which are more natural to their everyday behavior while being presented delightfully in a creative manner. I think that the presentations which the Zerbini family offers with elephants and horses is a prime positive example of such.

I would compare the latter sort of presentation to the manner in which military aircraft frequently fly for public offerings. What many people perceive as "stunt flying" is more often just an intricate and graceful (though powerful) choreographed display of the kinds of moves which pilots are commonly trained to employ for battle: executed expertly, especially in formation flying. Thus, it has the ability to wow and draw one into wonderment about what they have witnessed.... whether with airplanes or animals.

The traditional circus business is not what it once was (for a lot of reasons.) But the reality is that animal acts are among the most popular and in demand by audiences within these outlets of entertainment. Indeed, for many it is their ONLY (or certainly a rare) opportunity to come into proximate contact with an experience of such beings.

Obviously, everyone wants humane and excellent treatment of animals. Progress should constantly be made in this regard. And those with resources to do so should lead. Those in power ought to encourage and incentivise, providing genuine opportunity of growth.

Ultimately, however, I fear that we come to a battle of ideologies. As Jolly Well so aptly stated, "...which is where the argument should not be, but rather on why that particular job is justified as being needed itself."