Animals & Nature

Should owls be used as props in magic show

Did anyone see the Britain's got Talent show on Sat on ITV where an illusionist act was using Owls and other animals as props? They even boasted they had another 50 plus animals at home including a bear which they will be using in future heats. Does anyone agree with me that this is an inappropriate way to treat such animals?

suli Mon 12/05/08 22:16

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rexy0101
Mon 12/05/08
22:45

I totally agree with you.Did you see them in the Sunday People saying how desperate they were to win the show "to save the beloved animals he uses in his magic act"
The poor birds and animals must suffer stress while travelling to shows.They are living creatures not props for a cheap show

wildwood
Mon 12/05/08
22:49

Bears are totally unsuitable as captive animals except in those large open enclosures where they can rummage around all day in virtual privacy, as that is how they live in the wild. It is cruel to keep them in anything smaller as they become bored silly.
Owls on the other hand sit around all day waiting for something to come along that they can pounce on so it makes no difference to them whether they are in captivity or not, as long as they get a couple of whole mice/rats per day.

It is easy to form a knee jerk reaction against keeping captive animal but most are captive bred and probably won't survive in the wild unless they undergo expensive rehabilitation conditioning.
I know that you are only asking for opinions but If, as some would like, we are going to strive for a total ban on keeping animals than the dogs, cats, cows, sheep and porkers have to go too.

lankeela
Mon 12/05/08
23:33

But these will never be starved, beaten or otherwise ill treated like a lot of so called 'pet' animals.

suli
Tue 13/05/08
09:02

Question Author

I have no objection to anyone keeping animals, pet, farm animals or captive bred "wild" animals as long as they are being looked after and treated apropriately, and as close to "natural" as possible.

However, I don't think pulling owls from a small box, on stage in front of lights and a very loud audience is appropriate. I felt degraded for the birds.

Apart from the shock element, the act could have been performed just as well, or just as poorly, with stuffed toys or vegetables.

We do enough shouting about how animals are treated in other countries, but we are sitting back letting this happen here. I am not one of these animal activist people, but the sight of owls being used this way just sickened me.

noknowledge
Tue 13/05/08
09:07

your right SULI animals have no place in show business
i have even seen one so called celebrity shove his hand right up a ducks @rse in the name of entertaiment
this is so so wrong.

noknowledge
Tue 13/05/08
09:13

and what i find even more incredible was that this so called entertainer tried to convince the audience that the duck could talk.

chappie
Tue 13/05/08
09:14

Rod Hull was just as bad.

squarebear
Tue 13/05/08
09:14

I think I saw that act noknowledge. He tried the same thing with a monkey too. Awful, awful man.

4GS
Tue 13/05/08
09:16

Rod Hull was a pervert, I watched him on a childrens chat show using that puppet to feel up kids.

LoftyLottie
Tue 13/05/08
09:17

Totally agree with you Suli, and as you say the act could have been performed just as well with inanimate objects. It was a really poor, boring act and just relied on the animals to get attention.

chappie
Tue 13/05/08
09:18

Serious question:

Did Rod Hull fall off a roof while fiddling with his aerial?

squarebear
Tue 13/05/08
09:18

Yes he did. He was trying to tune it in to a football game when he fell.

chappie
Tue 13/05/08
09:20

Thanks squarebear.

noknowledge
Tue 13/05/08
09:25

What did Rod Hull do his washing with?

. Aerial and bounce

chappie
Tue 13/05/08
09:25

Ouch!!

noknowledge
Tue 13/05/08
09:27

What have Rod Hull and Emu got in common?
Neither of them can fly

noknowledge
Tue 13/05/08
09:29

i like the freddy mercury one best.

What's the connection between Rod Hull and Freddie Mercury?
They both died after ******* around with a TV!

suli
Tue 13/05/08
09:33

Question Author

Thanks for all the latest comments. I'm glad I have been able to provoke some serious debate and all your answers will be forwarded to the SPSA (Society for the Protection of Stuffed Animals).

chappie
Tue 13/05/08
21:48

Hi suli,

I hate to see animals exploited in this way. I don't think it should be allowed in the name of entertainment.

On a lighter note, it's good to see that you have a sense of humour - I really liked the Society for the Protection of Stuffed Animals! (LOL)

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