British Society is, on the whole, a caring and tolerant society, and we are all very lucky to be part of it. There are laws and institutions which are designed to provide help to those who need it. We may sneer at this kind of safety net, but we never know if we may need it ourselves some day. So caring is a good and people who volunteer for voluntary services deserve the highest praise. However, all good things can be taken to extremes, and I wonder if sometimes we can become over sensitive in our attitude towards animals.

Many people think that animals should be left in the wild and not kept in zoos or trained to do circus acts. Animals are happiest in their natural environment, the argument goes, and that is where they should remain.

This reminds me of certain philosophical arguments concerning the value of civilisation for mankind, and the demands of human nature. The 17th Century philosopher Thomas Hobbes exalted the advantages of civilisation and observed, very succinctly, that: “Life in a state of nature is nasty, brutish and short.”

Now, it is hard to imagine what it must be like to be an animal living in the wild. On the one hand, wild animals have infinite freedom: they can go wherever they wish. On the other hand, they must live in a state of constant fear – fear of predators, for example. The older they are the more vulnerable they become, and, if they are injured, they do not last long – there is no veterinary service for wild animals. Even the lion, the king of all wild animals, is expelled from the pride, when he becomes too old to defend his position.

So, if animals kept in zoos were able to think rationally, they might prefer to be kept in captivity, where, although deprived of their infinite freedom, they can at least expect to live a long life. But, of course, the power of reason of wild animals is very limited, and it is said they become listless and bored, and have to suffer the indignity of being always on exhibition to crowds of visitors. This assumes, of course, that wild animals are able to feel the same kinds of emotion as ourselves, and actually have a sense of dignity which is offended by the great British public looking at them!

Of course, we all love and adore our own pets – mainly horses, cats and dogs. Dogs, in particular, have nothing like the freedom they would have in the wild. However much they are loved and indulged, they have to be trained – if only house trained. Working dogs are trained for use by farmers who keep sheep, for blind men and for the police. They do a useful job, and has anybody ever heard of a blind person’s dog, a police dog or a sheep dog which has suffered psychological harm on account of the specialised training they receive? Do working dogs ever look bored or listless.

Horses have to be “broken in”, before they can be ridden. This sounds like a very cruel process, but is far from cruel. Cruelty would be more likely to put a horse off carrying a man than the gentle and firm way horses are gradually got to be accustomed to accepting a rider and the rider’s commands. So horses too have no freedom, but they have to be properly cared for and exercised. Without horses, there could have been no civilisation as we know it, and I have never yet heard anybody who objects to the training of animals in circuses, condemn the training of horses for riding.

So what then is wrong with the training of circus animals? Circus animals, like horses, are kept in small stalls (or cages), but get regular exercise – as I understand, they are exercised in the morning in preparation for the shows in the afternoon and evening. They never look bored, ill or listless. Like all other working animals, they have to be given a lot of care, attention and training. I have never seen any mark on a circus animal, when I have seen them at close hand after the show. In fact, I find it difficult to believe anyone can possibly be able to train any animal, unless he genuinely loves the animal he’s training. Indeed, it is difficult to imagine how a trainer would ever dare to deliberately make a lion angry, for instance. Can it be cruel to train a killer whale? Can you imagine how the killer whale might react to cruelty! The ring master’s whip may well serve a useful purpose sometimes, but could an animal be expected to perform well if it is habitually treated badly?

In my view, zoos should be encouraged to maintain and improve high standards of animal care, and, if there are performing animals at a zoo, there is nothing wrong with that. I remember the dolphins at Flamingoland. They were well trained, and clearly liked their keeper. They could be seen after shows through the glass walls of one side of their tank. They did not look unhappy and there was no sign of any mark on their skin. It was a tragedy that they had to go.

Unlike the fun park, the zoo is educational. Flamingoland is a local tourist attraction which brings a lot of trade into Ryedale. Provided the standards of animal care and public safety remain high, we should value it and show our appreciation for it.