MANATEE – A Suncoast traveling animal circus is the target of PETA’s new campaign to urge people to avoid wild-animal acts.
“Hi I’m Mark Rylance I’m speaking today on behalf of PETA. All of these bears, though they may look like they’re enjoying this. They’re all suffering in the background.”
PETA’s new campaign features Oscar winner Mark Rylance as he targets Myakka City’s Bearaside Ranch. The nearly five minute ad depicts the way bears are treated in order to perform.
“There’s really just no reason that bears should be forced to perform,” says Debbie Metzler, PETA’s Supervising Captive Wildlife Specialist
Metzler says there’s nothing educational in seeing bears perform circus tricks.
“You’re not learning about natural bear behavior. It’s just a form of entertainment and it’s just like circuses,” she says.
PETA alleges that animal-acts are cruel and don’t allow the animals to live a fruitful l life. “Industry wide tactics these animals are punished because they are wild animals and you can’t use positive conditioning to train them to do these acts,” says Metzler
Bearadise Ranch was not available for an interview but released this statement to SNN.
Reading in part “PETA has provided a manipulated, fraudulent video including horrific footage of bears which are not owned by Bearadise nor does is it a true representation of a Bearadise Ranch exhibition. PETA’s intent is to create a false narrative to use purely as a multi-million dollar fundraiser while falsely slandering this family owned, very well thought of animal enterprise that brings a wonderful and unique experience to American families all over the Country.”
Metzler however says PETA’s goal is simply to stop the bears from continuing to perform.
“PETA’s actions always been that they just stop the shows. We are not asking that they move the bears from Bearaside Ranch as natural state enclosures we believe that they would be well there. They would thrive if they just stop doing the shows,” says Metzler.
As of now Bearadsie Ranch has no plans on canceling any of their holiday shows.
