I am sickened that our county welcomes a circus that utilizes wild animals. Kremmling hosted the Merriweather and Culpepper circus with a lion proudly displayed in a cage. How is that okay? How does a lion in a cage with a trainer put a gleam into a child’s eyes?
To quote dosomething.org, “virtually 96% of a circus animal’s life is spent in chains or cages.” Also, “11 months a year they travel over long distances in box cars with no climate control, sleeping, eating and defecating in the same cage.”
How unnatural it is to cheer on wild animals that are being exploited in performances? Do residents of Grand County not wonder what the animals living conditions are? In the wild lions live in prides with as many as 40 individuals.
In the circus they live their lives alone in a cage. In the wild they wander a territory of 100 square miles, according to National Geographic. The circus took that from them.
In my opinion, by going to the circus in Kremmling, you are paying to support an animal’s misery. I am a mother, and I wish to provide my daughter a vision of lions in the wild thriving.
To quote paws.org, “when circuses portray unnatural and inaccurate images of how wild animals live and act, in such an unrealistic context this creates a greater disconnect between people and wild animals, promoting the notion that it is acceptable even enjoyable to exploit animals for entertainment.”
I recommend supporting and taking your children to the Wild Animal Sanctuary in Keenesburg. The sanctuary operates more than 10,000 acres and rescues animals from horrific captive situation and rehabilitates them so they can live and roam freely. I hope as a community that we stop inviting circuses to our beautiful county that use wild animals.
Elena Ahrens, Hot Sulphur Springs