Circuses use animals as performing attractions within travelling entertainment operations. Animals are captured, bred, or purchased and trained to perform repetitive behaviours for public spectacle, often while living in temporary enclosures and transported between locations.
Although the use of animals in circuses has been restricted or banned in some regions, similar systems continue to operate globally. The underlying structure remains consistent: animals are trained and managed as entertainment assets within commercial performance settings.
See it by species
This index includes species used in circus performances or travelling animal entertainment systems.