Encyclopedia of animal rights and animal 255

212 | Entertainment and Amusement: Animals in the Performing Arts aversive environment? Similarly, drugs can be used to eliminate stereotypic behavior, obstacles can be placed to prevent the behavior, or animals can be trained not to rely on stereotypy The advantage that enrichment has over all these alternative methods is that it addresses the root cause of the observable behavioral problem, not the symptoms In fact, many enrichment advocates argue that enrichment is the key concept for maintenance of captive animals, on a par with food, water, and shelter See also Stereotypies in Animals; Zoos: Roles; Zoos—Welfare Concerns Further Reading Kleiman, D G., Thompson, K V., & Baer, C K (eds.) 2009 Wild mammals in captivity, 2nd ed Chicago: University of Chicago Press Mason, G J., Cooper, J., & Clarebrough, C 2001 Frustrations of fur-farmed mink Nature, 410, 35–36 Mason, G J., & Rushen, J (eds.) 2006 Stereotypic animal behaviour: Fundamentals and applications to welfare, 2nd ed Wallingford, UK: CAB International Moberg, G P., & Mench, J A 2000 The biology of animal stress: Basic principles and implications for animal welfare Wallingford, UK: CAB International Shepherdson, D J., Mellen, J D., & Hutchins, M 1998 Second nature: Environmental enrichment for captive animals Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution Press Swaisgood, R R 2007 Current status and future directions of applied behavioral research for animal welfare and conservation In R R Swaisgood (ed.), Special Issue: Animal Behaviour, Conservation and Enrichment Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 102, 139–162 Swaisgood, R R., & Shepherdson, D J 2005 Scientific approaches to enrichment and stereotypies in zoo animals: What’s been done and where should we go next? Zoo Biology, 24, 499–518 Ronald R Swaisgood ENTERTAINMENT AND AMUSEMENT: ANIMALS IN THE PERFORMING ARTS Defenders of the use of animals in entertainment must contend with one argument beyond all those that arise in the context of other uses of animals: that this use is utterly without necessity or utility Unlike the use of animals in science and agriculture, where clear benefits to humans, and sometimes even to animals, can be claimed, animals who are made to perform in any genre or venue whatsoever are being used purely to fill leisure time, to provide human beings with amusement and distraction and, some would argue, to implicitly assert human dominion over other species No human or animal lives are saved or even demonstrably improved by capturing wild animals and teaching them to jump through flaming hoops No diseases are cured or hungers reduced by having stallions prance in unison or elephants rear up on their hind legs Several common rejoinders are made to this charge of inutility and human selfindulgence First, it is pointed out that the use of animals in entertainment is an ageold and universal practice and, as such, is deeply entwined with cultural values and identities In recent years, this argument has frequently been offered, for example, in defense of bull-fighting, with the implication that opposition to this sport is tantamount to cultural insensitivity or even disrespect There is no doubt that animal performance has a long history, expansive geography, and deep cultural roots While