Stop Forcing Lions, Tigers and Other Animals from Participating in "Gladiator" Shows!

Animal rights groups have slammed "top zoos" that force animals to take part in demeaning and unnatural performances for the entertainment of visitors. These acts include making big cats take part in gladiator-style shows or training seals to play-fight with "lightsabers."

Guidelines of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) specifically state that its members should not involve animals in "shows, displays or interactive experiences where animals perform demeaning and unnatural behaviors."

The WAZA needs to crack down on these cruel events and punish institutions that hold them. Animals in zoos and aquariums suffer enough from their unnatural environments - they don't need to be made objects of entertainment.