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Letters to the Editor -

Dear Editor,

I hope that by writing this letter the topic I'm going to talk about will receive some negative attention. I attend high school here in Gander, and like most students, I'm excited for summer break and the chance to relax. Summer means sun, ice-cream and bike rides. All things I enjoy. But, summer also means the circus.

For the past few years, our town has been allowing the Cirque Estival to have shows here, something several Newfoundland towns have prohibited. These towns include Grand-Falls-Windsor, St. John's, Mount Pearl and Clarenville. These towns have realized the danger to the public and the moral wrongs of an animal circus.

Many parents will bring their children out to see the exotic animals this June, but does anyone realize their children may be in harm's way? Wild animals cannot be trained with treats like a dog. These foreign animals are trained with pain force. An elephant trained caught on tape was heard explaining, "Sink that hook into 'em... when you hear that screaming then you know you got their attention..." This use of force often results in the animals attacking what they associate the pain with- people.

Only a little more than week ago, a caretaker for an elephant named Dumbo in the US was forcefully kicked, causing death to the keeper. This situation has been analyzed by experts in exotic animal behavior who say that the kick was intentional. An example that hits closer to home is of Leo, a lion rented from Bowmanville Zoo. This lion tackled a woman by the name of Gitanjali Koland during a photo shoot, breaking four of her ribs and bruising her lung. The lion is from the same zoo Cirque Estival rents its animals from, and a show in Gander used a lion by the name of Leo. These are the dangers you're exposing your children to. Every year, several circus animals are reported attacking trainers and the public. Those riding these beautiful creatures are even more at risk.

I would like our town to acknowledge the lack of interest in this event, especially from our youth. I've grown up in a generation who believes heavily in morals, supporting what's right and a green future. To know our town is supporting an event so obviously cruel to innocent animals disappoints me. Is this really what Gander is about? We're supporting the horrible travel conditions and suffering of training these animals endure. They don't enjoy road trips (especially in cramped trailers in the summer heat) and they don't like performing tricks for your entertainment.

Are we so barbaric that we consider the suffering of innocent lives family fun? Are we blind we'll place our children in front of hundreds of pounds of pent up anxiety and rage? If I could stop just one family from attending this event, I feel accomplished.

There are many other options, such as animal free circuses. I, and many others my age hope to join the other towns in Newfoundland and Labrador in erasing this embarrassing event before our pride in our town has been erased.

Jaimee Harris

Gander