Carcass or Carcase (both pronounced /ˈkɑːrkəs/) may refer to: Dressed carcass, the body of a livestock animal ready for butchery, after removal of skin, visceral organs, head, feet etc. Carrion, the dead body of an animal or human being. The structural system or frame of a structure, especially one not normally seen.

1a : something exhibited to view as unusual, notable, or entertaining especially : an eye-catching or dramatic public display. b : an object of curiosity or contempt made a spectacle of herself.

1a : a large arena enclosed by tiers of seats on three or all four sides and used especially for sports or spectacles (such as athletic contests, exhibitions of horsemanship, or in ancient times chariot racing) b : a public spectacle.

There are still circuses in the US that operate today. However, there are still circuses in business today that travel around the country with wildlife. Some of these circuses include Loomis Bros Circus, Jordan World, Carden International, Royal Hanneford, and Carson & Barnes.

After 146 years, Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey is closing for good, responding to a prolonged slump in ticket sales that has rendered the business unsustainable, according to its operator, Feld Entertainment.

But there’s still work to be done. Animals continue to be used in circuses around the country, and they need your help. Tell the Carson & Barnes, Garden Bros., and UniverSoul circuses to end all cruel animal acts, and click the button below to pledge never to go to a circus that uses animals.

Beaten and Broken Circuses use physical punishment to terrify animals into performing. Animals are beaten, shocked, and whipped to make them perform tricks that make no sense to them. To make some animals “manageable,” trainers may drug them or remove their teeth and claws, causing acute and chronic pain.

Thirty-six years of PETA protests against 146-year-old Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus—in which members and supporters revealed that animals were beaten and otherwise abused—have reduced attendance to the point of no return.

In 2018, Hawaii and New Jersey banned the use of most wild animals in both circuses and traveling acts. In 2019, California banned the use of all animals, with the exception of dogs, cats, and domesticated horses, in circuses only.

There is no such federal law in the United States. But dozens of local bans, as well as Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey’s recent decision to fold its tent, have some lawmakers hoping the American political terrain might now be fertile enough to send all circus elephants, tigers and bears to retirement.

Elephant act at a 2009 circus in Pachuca, Hidalgo, Mexico. In December 2014, as a response to reports of animal mistreatment, the Mexican Congress passed a law banning the use of animals in any circus in the country.

Several hundred Asian elephants live in the United States, the majority of them in zoos. Most of the rest live in sanctuaries or refuges; a handful are still owned by circuses, performing in states and communities where that use of wild animals is still legal.

Circus animals have the right to be protected and treated humanely under the Animal Welfare Act. Tigers naturally fear fire, but they are still forced to jump through fire hoops in some circuses and have been burned while doing so. Virtually 96% of a circus animal’s life is spent in chains or cages.

Travelling circus life is likely to have a harmful effect on animal welfare as captive animals are unable to socialise, get enough exercise or exhibit natural behaviours. Many animals develop behavioural and/or health problems as a direct result of the captive life that they are forced to lead.

Here’s the list of countries that have implemented or passed bans on circuses that use wild animals, according to StopCircusSuffering.com:

• Austria.
• Bolivia.
• Bosnia and Herzegovina.
• Colombia.
• Costa Rica.
• Croatia.
• Cyprus.
• El Salvador.

In 2019, California banned the use of all animals in circuses, except for dogs, cats, and domesticated horses.