Tragedy at the Circus

In yesterday’s circus(马戏团)show, a tiger suddenly attacked its trainer and had to be shot dead.As the circus packed up and left, circus officials said the show would go on, even without tigers.

However, the officials can’t simply turn a blind eye to the ethical problems left behind.Even before this tragedy (悲剧), animal rights activists protested against keeping wild animals in unnatural conditions and forcing them to suffer for the profit of circus organizers.

It is now time for us to take effective steps to make sure that circus animals are treated properly.

Circus Safe for Animals

Our circus recently suffered a most tragic event in its history.While we are thankful for the pity from the public, we are also astonished by the opinion expressed in “Tragedy at the Circus.”

First, our performing animals are not taken from the wild.As to the ethical problems, we always believe humans and animals can—and should —live together nicely.To us, the performing animals are representatives of their species(物种),and our circus is one of the only places left willing to support this special role of performing animals in the existence of the species.Those who argue that circus life is harmful to animals show little knowledge of these facts.Life in the “wild” is unsafe, but a continuous struggle for existence.To overlook these realities is the greatest fault against the animal kingdom.

This circus has proven that animals are stronger and smarter than we could imagine.Within the circus is a joyful atmosphere for both animals and humans: people are educated, and species saved.

Conservation is the main focus of most zoos today. Public perception has, to a large extent, not yet caught up with this shift in focus. Zoos put an enormous effort into educating the public about their valuable role as conservation centers.

At the same time, most people come to zoos at least in part to be entertained.【小题1】The recent addition of a giraffe-feeding platform at the Reid Park Zoo in Tues on, Arizona, has been wildly successful. Most of the program’s profits go to conservation projects around the world.

Zoo professionals put a great deal of effort into tools and activities that provide animals with stimulation (刺激). It has been proven that captive (圈养) animals with habitat enrichment do much better than those without it.【小题2】Zookeepers may spend months developing a new form of enrichment and then discover that an animal has no interest in it.

Zoo keepers often stimulate natural behaviors by using techniques such as hiding food in enclosures so that animals need to search and reach for it.【小题3】Some zoos make frozen taste treats for their animals, in eluding rats and fish.

Many zoos do some amount of behavioral training of animals-often as a way to enable staff to provide better care. For example, lions and tigers can be trained to touch a “target” or to put their tails through a fence. Later, they will accept an injection in the same manner. A baboon (狒狒) can be trained to present a shoulder for the same purpose.【小题4】

A constant concern at all zoos is where money is going to come from. It takes a huge amount of money to keep and care for zoo animals, maintain exhibits, and pay staff salaries.【小题5】Every zoo has a “wish list” of projects, including updating exhibits and developing new ones.

According to reports, three-quarters of all crops around the world depend on pollinating (授粉的) insects like bees and butterflies. By pollinating, pollinators enable the production of seeds. Without them, crop farming can become extremely difficult or costly threatening food supplies and prices globally.

Research has shown a rapid and consistent decline in pollinator populations. Average butterfly populations have almost halved since 1991 and bee populations in particular face a sharp decline. Given the world’s growing dependence on these insects, we can only expect the problem to worsen if no action is taken.

Much has been written about how intensive farming practices the use of chemical pesticides (杀虫剂), and pollution are threatening the survival of these helpful insects. To add to the already critical situation, global warming is contributing significantly to the rapid disappearance of pollinators.

Climate change is a major threat to pollinators, with rising temperatures and increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events affecting the food sources and habitats, on which pollinators depend for their survival.

Climate change also changes the timing and availability of lowering plants, leading to mismatches between pollinators and their food sources. A study has found that climate change has shifted plants’ blooming to earlier times and caused certain plants to move to higher areas, resulting in a decline in pollination.

Another study has found that climate change could lead to a decline in the quality of nectar, which is the main food source for many pollinators. As temperatures rise, the sugar content of nectar decreases, making it less nutritious for pollinators. This leads to a decline in the health and reproductive success of pollinators, as well as a decline in the pollination of plants.

Needless to say, cutting global emissions (排放量) is key. It’s essential that we continue to advocate for emission reductions. From country-level to individual businesses, more concrete roadmaps to net zero are a must.

We must at least minimize, if not prevent, the usage of pesticides, since these chemicals are harmful to pollinators and can have a far-reaching effect on pollination as a whole.