Animals in Sport and Entertainment
Here is an overview of the information in this section. To go to a particular topic, click on that topic in the left hand index.
Duck shooting not only kills, but also cripples tens of thousands of ducks each year. A shotgun scatters over 100 steel pellets, which means many ducks are hit, but not killed. Some of the wounded are picked up by shooters. Many escape and will either survive with pellets in their body, or die slowly within the next few hours or days.
Fish are the most neglected and misunderstood of all animals. Some people seem to think that fish don't feel pain and fear. In fact, their nervous system is similar to our own. Fish feel pain like we do when they are hooked, played on the line in "game fishing", and left to suffocate on land. Just because they can't scream doesn't mean they don't suffer!
Zoos in Australian capital cities have made big improvements over the last few years. There are more open-range zoos. However, some areas of these zoos still need improving because they are too small and the animals have nothing to occupy their time.
Circuses can never make the improvements that zoos have made because they have to travel all the time. When they travel the animals are locked into small wagons. On site the cages and pens are bigger, but still boring. Some animals don't have companions of their own species, and they have little opportunity to express their natural behaviour. Circuses are for human performers, not for animals!
Jump racing such as hurdles and especially steeplechases regularly kill and injure horses. In these long and tiring events horses will make mistakes and fall. At the very least they will be bruised and sore, at worst they will break a leg and be shot.
Rodeos are violent events, where horses and cattle are in danger of being injured. To make bulls and horses buck, a strap is pulled tightly around their groin. Bulls are shocked with an electric prod as they leave the chute. Riders wear spurs to further irritate the animals. Calf roping can bruise the neck and even damage the windpipe.
Horse Racing doesn't have the violent and spectacular injuries associated with rodeos and jump racing, nevertheless, serious injuries are surprisingly common and the fate of failed racers isn't pretty. Nobody likes a loser - and most racehorses are losers.