An animal show is a form of exhibition featuring the display or performance of one or more breeds of animal.USDA Animal Welfare Act, Licensing and Registration, APHIS USDA (retrieved 26 May 2012)

Purpose

An animal show can be for entertainment, educational, and/or commercial purpose. A judged event may rank specimens for the benefit of those involved in animal breeding or husbandry, or provide entertainment to animal fancy

hobby A hobby is considered to be a regular activity that is done for enjoyment, typically during one's leisure time. Hobbies include collecting themed items and objects, engaging in creative and artistic pursuits, playing sports, or pursuing other ...

ists.

Types of shows

The US Animal Welfare Act identifies a number of types of animal exhibitions:

Amusement parks

Modern amusement parks often feature performing marine mammals and even contain drive-thru animal safari tours. The animal shows are typically operated by a contracted performer, while the animal parks are owned by the theme park itself.

Animal fighting ventures

The US Animal Welfare Act prohibits the staging of dog fighting or baiting (including

bear Bears are carnivoran mammals of the family (biology), family Ursidae (). They are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans. Although only eight species of bears are extant, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats ...

raccoon The raccoon ( or , ''Procyon lotor''), sometimes called the North American, northern or common raccoon (also spelled racoon) to distinguish it from Procyonina, other species of raccoon, is a mammal native to North America. It is the largest ...

-baiting). Cockfighting is outlawed in every state in the United States but is not banned nationally in the US.

Animal performances

Animals perform tricks and stunts in the

circus A circus is a company of performers who put on diverse entertainment shows that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, dancers, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, magicians, ventriloquists, and unicy ...

, marine mammal shows,

amusement park An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, and events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central theme, often fea ...

carnival Carnival (known as Shrovetide in certain localities) is a festive season that occurs at the close of the Christian pre-Lenten period, consisting of Quinquagesima or Shrove Sunday, Shrove Monday, and Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras. Carnival typi ...

s, independent animal acts, television shows, movies, and educational exhibits. These can be licensed acts with booking agents.

Carnivals

Animals can be displayed or be given as prizes by concessionaires at carnivals.

Farm animal exhibitions

Farm animals are exhibited at

agricultural show An agricultural show is a public event exhibiting the equipment, animals, sports and recreation associated with agriculture and animal husbandry. The largest comprise a livestock show (a judged event or display in which selective breeding, bree ...

fair A fair (archaic: faire or fayre) is a gathering of people for a variety of entertainment or commercial activities. Fairs are typically temporary with scheduled times lasting from an afternoon to several weeks. Fairs showcase a wide range of go ...

s, and other exhibitions. In the US, 4-H is actively involved in youth participation in the exhibition of

livestock Livestock are the Domestication, domesticated animals that are raised in an Agriculture, agricultural setting to provide labour and produce diversified products for consumption such as meat, Egg as food, eggs, milk, fur, leather, and wool. The t ...

at county and state fairs and dedicated livestock shows.

Horse shows

Horse show A horse show is a judged exhibition of horses and pony, ponies. Many different horse breeds and equestrianism, equestrian disciplines hold competitions worldwide, from local to the international levels. Most horse shows run from one to three days ...

s are competitions in which riders cause their horses to perform particular gaits and activities for recognition and prizes.

Marine mammal shows

Marine mammal shows include the display or performance of

marine mammal Marine mammals are mammals that rely on marine ecosystems for their existence. They include animals such as cetaceans, pinnipeds, sirenians, sea otters and polar bears. They are an informal group, unified only by their reliance on marine enviro ...

s such as

polar bear The polar bear (''Ursus maritimus'') is a large bear native to the Arctic and nearby areas. It is closely related to the brown bear, and the two species can Hybrid (biology), interbreed. The polar bear is the largest extant species of bear ...

s, sea otters,

whale Whales are a widely distributed and diverse group of fully Aquatic animal, aquatic placental mammal, placental marine mammals. As an informal and Colloquialism, colloquial grouping, they correspond to large members of the infraorder Cetacea ...

s, porpoises,

dolphin A dolphin is an aquatic mammal in the cetacean clade Odontoceti (toothed whale). Dolphins belong to the families Delphinidae (the oceanic dolphins), Platanistidae (the Indian river dolphins), Iniidae (the New World river dolphins), Pontopori ...

manatee Manatees (, family (biology), family Trichechidae, genus ''Trichechus'') are large, fully aquatic, mostly herbivory, herbivorous marine mammals sometimes known as sea cows. There are three accepted living species of Trichechidae, representing t ...

s, dugongs, seals, sea lions, walruses, and other mammals with fins or flippers. In 2013, Miller and his colleagues showed that dolphin shows and public interaction with dolphins increases « knowledge, attitudes and behavioral intentions » towards dolphins and their environment, on a limited time scale. They have also revealed that the more the shows were seen, the more people were taking conservation actions. Unfortunately, many studies have demonstrated that several marine mammals are not made for captivity and keeping them in these tanks is a form of cruelty. Also, the main messages send by these shows are told to be controversial. To face these difficulties, Edge Innovation created a robotic dolphin. The goal is to keep educating and entertaining the public without having to keep marine mammals in captivity.

Pet shows

Dog shows,

cat show A cat show is a judged event where the owners of cats compete to win titles in various cat registering organizations by entering their cats to be judged after a breed standard. Both pedigree (cat), pedigreed and companion (or moggy) cats are admi ...

s, hamster shows, and rabbit shows are exhibitions for breeders and breed enthusiasts. The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show has been held annually since 1877. Over 300,000 dogs were rated by 134 judges in 134 shows through 2011.2013 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, Information (retrieved 26 May 2012)

Promotional exhibits

Animals are sometimes used to attract business to a commercial enterprise, such as a bear at a gasoline service station, a monkey at a trade show, or an elephant at a shopping center. These animals are typically displayed but might also perform in a show.

Rodeos

Farm animals and horses perform competitively at

rodeo Rodeo () is a competitive equestrian sport that arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain and Mexico, expanding throughout the Americas and to other nations. It was originally based on the skills required of the working vaqu ...

Zoological parks

Modern zoos often include animal shows for educational purposes. Petting zoos and roadside zoos are commercial enterprises that typically only display animals.

References

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