Throughout
China, circuses, traveling shows, and roadside zoos force animals—including
bears, monkeys, tigers, lions, dogs, and others—to perform for the public. A
PETA Asia investigator visited 10 different circuses and animal training
facilities in the city of Suzhou, which alone encompasses more than 300
circuses, and documented animal abuse and suffering on a massive
scale.
PETA Asia's investigator documented that bear cubs are chained or
tethered to a wall and forced to remain upright, sometimes for hours, in order
to train them to walk on their hind legs. If they can’t hold themselves up, they
risk choking and hanging themselves.
Forcing bears to stand for prolonged
periods of time on their hind legs can cause lifelong physical problems. Jin
Yipeng, deputy professor of veterinary medicine at China Agricultural
University, notes, “Over the long term that causes permanent joint damage or
even necrosis and paralysis.
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