Circus animals spark online debate

The article ‘Protest highlights plight of circus animals’ (Fourways Review, week ending 18 January 2013), which was also featured on the newspaper’s companion website Looklocal Fourways, received numerous comments from Fourways residents and animal activists.

The comments included angry sentiments about Brian Boswell’s Circus continued use of animals in their acts. One user commented, “The Boswells should actually be taking the lead and become an ‘animal-less’ circus and promote their business that way. We will support them and so will many others. We are not neanderthals anymore and there is just no excuse to use and exploit these wonderful sentient fellow earthlings.”

Another user joined the debate with the comment, “I’d like to point out that although the circus using animals is legal in South Africa, it doesn’t mean it’s right.”

Activists also pointed out that while the article cited a comment by the owner of Brian Boswell’s Circus, Georgina Boswell, saying that patrons and performers in the circus had been intimidated by activists in past protests, activists were also supposedly victims of intimidation.

“Why are they bringing up the past for this article when they themselves have harassed, intimidated and verbally abused many an activist?” a user claimed. “In most cases it’s the activists retaliating, yet the folk from Boswell plead innocence and point fingers.”