The untold story of captive animals in Egypt

On the second day of Eid al-Fitr, in the city of Tanta, a tiger at a traveling circus attacked a worker, severing his arm. Two months earlier, a similar incident had unfolded at the local zoo in Fayoum, where a lion mauled its handler, resulting in his death.

The two incidents prompted public debate over the treatment of animals in captivity, both in circuses and zoos, and the coercive methods often employed to train them for unnatural performances. Attention also turned to the routine practice of killing animals by gunfire when they exhibited what was deemed aggressive behavior.

During the attempt to rescue the victim at the Tanta circus, a worker struck the tiger with a metal training fork. The injured man, Mohamed El-Bastawisy, later accused the trainer and lead performer of failing to use the emergency pistol she had been carrying to subdue the animal.

In the Fayoum zoo incident, the lion, Saad, was reported confined to a small cage, displaying signs of hunger and exhaustion. When his handler, 47-year-old Saeed Gaber, opened the inner gate to lead him out for a performance, the animal lunged, sinking its teeth and claws into the man’s head.

Security personnel intervened, eventually shooting the lion dead. Gaber was transferred to Fayoum General Hospital, where he later died from his injuries.

Rather than addressing the incident by reducing the number of predators in its care, the Fayoum zoo posted a video on its Facebook page announcing the birth of a four-month-old lion cub named Simba.

In the video, the four-month-old cub appears confined to a metal cage scarcely a meter wide, a blue collar fastened around its neck. A voice over explains that the cage is locked at 5 p.m. and reopened at 8 a.m., separating Simba from his parents, who are kept in an adjacent enclosure.

In the name of entertainment

In the aftermath of the Tanta attack, a social media campaign under the hashtag "#Boycott_Circuses_Together" was launched, carrying the slogan "No to Violence Against Animals." The campaign quickly gathered support from animal rights activists, some actors, and other public figures.

On Facebook, film director Magdy El-Hawary urged an end to what he called "trainers' ignorance," writing, "I believe the very idea of a circus violates the natural order of the environment created by God. Predators belong in the wild."

Actress Asmaa Galal also shared an image on Instagram of a circus monkey, elephant, and lion, bowing their heads in visible sadness and exhaustion.

The distinction between routine and abusive treatment of circus animals in Egypt appears increasingly blurred. This was illustrated by a viral video featuring social media personality Sayed Ghoneim, known as "The Cheerful Host," riding a lion’s back at Mohamed El-Helw's circus in the North Coast.

"Animal torture under the guise of entertainment is still happening in Egypt," said Hanan Deebes, head of the Animal Protection Foundation/APF. "While most developed countries have stopped using animals in circus performances, we still treat them as a source of amusement and leisure," she added.

Deebes, who runs a nonprofit animal shelter in Abu El-Nomros, Giza, told Al Manassa that her organization had documented numerous cases of animal abuse in circuses and zoos over the past years. One of the most troubling incidents, she recalls, occurred inside the circus at Cairo's International Park.

There, a live rabbit had been placed inside a snake enclosure, left as prey for the snakes once they became hungry.

Zoo animals, particularly those in Giza, often appear thin and frail, she adds. Such conditions reflect systemic mistreatment, including the use of deliberate starvation to subdue the animals and compel them to perform on command.

Animal welfare and wildlife advocate Dina Zulfikar also raised concerns over the exploitation of animals in Egyptian circuses. “What message are we sending our children when they see animals in circuses that cannot even meet their most basic needs?” she asked.

Outdated

In an interview with Al Manassa, Zulfikar noted that over the past three years, numerous reports of animal abuse in circuses have surfaced. One of the most striking involved a visibly exhausted lion at actress Faten El-Helw’s circus, seen leaning against a metal pole for support, barely able to stand.

Zulfikar emphasized that the use of animals in circus performances is marked by disorder and mismanagement. “Licenses are issued to the animal’s owner, not to the circus itself,” she explained, “so if an animal attacks someone, it is the owner who is held responsible, not the establishment hosting the performance.”

Zulfikar also questioned why the Actors' Syndicate is responsible for training and testing circus performers, a field unrelated to theatrical professions.

Speaking to Al Manassa, she explained that caring for animals requires more than just food and water. Regular veterinary checkups are essential, and their enclosures must be appropriate.

"A suitable living environment is certainly not an iron cage with a hard concrete floor that injures the animal’s body," she asserted.

While she acknowledged that circuses once drew large audiences, she noted that society has moved on.

“Today, confining animals in cages for entertainment is among the most blatant forms of cruelty,” she said.

Many European countries have moved to ban wild animals from circus acts in recent years, including Austria, Belgium, and Finland. In December 2014, the Netherlands also prohibited their use in circus performances.

Sharon Dijksma, then serving as the Dutch undersecretary for economic affairs, stated that animal welfare should take precedence over outdated forms of entertainment. She also emphasized that the cramped cages and constant travel associated with circus life constitute a form of torture for captive animals.

Torture behind the curtains

Animals in circuses endure beatings and abuse, contrary to claims by trainers that they are lovingly tamed from a young age, according to Mona Khalil, head of the Egyptian Society for Mercy to Animals.

Khalil told Al Manassa that a single circus stunt often requires days of violent training. She rejected claims of affectionate bonds between trainers and animals, asserting that each act performed on stage is the result of sustained pain and coercion.

Circus animals are raised in cramped metal cages, deprived of any semblance of a natural life. During training, handlers employ tools such as electric prods and whips.

“The message is simple: obey or suffer. If an animal resists, it faces harsh punishment,” she explained.

Obedience, she explained, is not a reflection of affection but of fear. Animals perform to avoid pain, deprivation, or starvation. “A circus is a prison; daily torture under confinement. Before applauding the trainer, remember: he is, in reality, the executioner,” she said.

A legislative push

Meanwhile, MP Ayat El-Haddad has proposed legislation to ban wild animals in circus acts in Egypt.

"Many countries have taken firm steps to outlaw these practices because of their risks to public safety, wildlife, and animal rights," she stated.

El-Haddad called for an end to animal cruelty, particularly training practices based on physical and psychological abuse, which often trigger violent retaliation by animals against their handlers.

The proposed bill calls for a ban on the import and possession of wild animals for entertainment purposes, the imposition of heavy fines, and the authorization of administrative closures in cases of violation.

Similarly, MP Zaki Abbas, a member of the Local Administration Committee, called for a comprehensive investigation into animal rights violations in circuses and public zoos. He told Al Manassa that the cases captured on camera represent only a fraction of a broader, largely hidden reality.

As for Zulfikar, she has proposes a complete ban on the use of animals—whether wild or domesticated—in circus performances. She advocates for a shift towards alternative forms of entertainment and the establishment of wildlife reserves where endangered species can breed in protected environments.

Zulfikar also called for legislation imposing strict penalties on anyone who confines animals to small cages for performances or public exhibitions in gardens and parks.

In the absence of immediate legislative change, hope lies in the power of public awareness campaigns. Through social media, there remains the possibility of advancing better conditions for captive animals and encouraging the adoption of entertainment forms that inspire without inflicting harm on the other creatures that inhabit the planet alongside us.