The word "circus" comes from Latin for circle. In its original definition, it described a Roman amphitheatre. Circuses today, whether animal or animal-free, are presented in one or more circular rings. But that's about all they have in common.

Long before I became involved with animal rights, I went to see the fantastic Cirque du Soleil, an animal-free circus-except for its human animals-who were performing in San Francisco. The Cirque performers were just starting out in show business, but it was already clear that they would go far. They were so much more entertaining and exciting than the conventional animal circuses I'd been to. I remember the astounding performance they gave to this day.

Many years later, after I had become an animal advocate, I bought tickets to the Circus Chimera, another animal-free circus with highly trained acrobats, aerialists and daredevils that kept me on the edge of my seat. Who needs beaten down wild animal slaves in silly costumes when you can watch human performers who really want to entertain, and get paid for it?

I also recall, way back when I was a teenager in the 60s, watching the late Clyde Beatty stamping around in leather boots in a cage full of emasculated lions, snapping his whip around and shouting at them to show them and the audience who was boss. The elephants at this circus wore costumes and were forced to stand on two legs at one point-a highly unnatural position for an elephant. I hated the Clyde Beatty Cole Brothers Circus, but I didn't really understand why until years later, when I learned more about circus animal abuse.

Today, thanks to more people becoming enlightened about the cruelty of exploiting wild animals in circuses, there are many more opportunities to see animal-free circuses than there were even ten years ago. I feel so strongly about the wrongness of animal circuses that I've participated in a number of protests of circuses that have come to my town.

And if I ever had any doubt that I was doing the right thing, standing on a public sidewalk with a big sign that talked about circus animal abuse, it was dispelled by the kids who would come up to us. At one protest, two little girls and their mother approached us and showed us the money they were holding in their hands. One said, "We were going to buy tickets to the circus, but we found out they hurt elephants." At another protest, a little boy came by after he exited the show and informed us, "The circus was terrible. I'm glad you're here." That makes all the yelled expletives and flipped birds worthwhile.

So what can you do if you don't want to see an animal circus? The HSUS publishes a list on its website of eighteen North American circuses and eight European circuses that don't use and abuse animals for entertainment. You can write to them and ask them to come to your town. Help them advertise. Encourage your friends and family to attend.

Discover for yourself just what wild animals do out there in the wild. Declawed and defanged circus bears, elephants traumatized with bullhooks and chained when they're not forced to entertain, and lions and tigers who spend most of their lives in cages will not give you a good idea of what wild really means. So watch wildlife films on TV or at the movie theatre. Read about your favorite wild creatures in books and on the Net. Or take a hike and observe your own local wildlife doing their thing. Take a trip to a national park in another state. Fly to another continent and visit the wild animal reserves there. There are so many ways to get close to wild animals that don't involve paying admission to see them do silly and degrading tricks in a circular ring.

hsus.org/wildlife/.../a_list_of_animalfree_circuses.html