A national animal rights charity is urging Whitby people to boycott a circus in the town before it leaves for Thirsk on Sunday.
Circus Mondao which is sited at Broad Ings Farm on the Whitby to Guisborough Road is one of seven circuses in this country still using animals.
It has animals such as zebras, lamas and camels as well as performing goats, dogs and pigeons.
The Cap
tive Animals' Protection Society (CAPS) are against the use of animals in any form of entertainment including circuses, films and television adverts as well as puppy farms.
They say that with so many excellent animal-free circuses now touring, the days of transporting animals from town to town is becoming a thing of the past.
And they believe that opinion polls consistently reveal that the public overwhelmingly oppose the confinement, transportation and training methods used by animal circuses and support a ban, despite a recent phone vote in the Whitby Gazette in which people showed they were happy with the circus visiting Whitby.
CAPS' campaigns manager Craig Redmond said: "It's time to end the outdated practice of forcing animals to perform for our amusement, particularly when there are lots of high-quality circuses that rely entirely on human skills. In the 21st century there can be no excuse for continuing to allow the treatment of animals in this way."
Paul Thomas, campaigns assistant for CAPS said when the circus was in Scarborough last month some of their members held a demonstration outside the circus and handed out literature to members of the public.
He said circus like Mondao do not want to publicize where they are going to be in advance so they can get in touch with the press and justify what they do.
"We can't understand what people get from circuses. What is it they are after. Is it education, entertainment from the animals or is it a cheap day out for the family. What is the point of seeing a zebra in the middle of Whitby. What do people get from that?"
Mr Thomas added that although he had been in touch with members in the Whitby area from CAPS there are no plans for a protest.
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