Circus troupes face a crisis in Andhra Pradesh

Hyderabad, Nov 20 : Circus companies in Andhra Pradesh are sore over the ban on the performance by animals except elephants and dogs in circus that has led to a fall in the number of visitors flocking to see their shows.

The artists in the circus lament the ban and said that the drop in the ticket sales is threatening their livelihood.

They also said they were under too much pressure to perform better to attract audiences to the circus. "Less people turn up in the circus now. The Government has banned the use of animals in the circus. That has made a difference. We only have elephants, " said Bahadur, a Joker.

The circus owners have demanded the lifting of the ban and return of their animals as their very survival is in jeopardy.

"We ask the Government to give back the animals. The Government has seized all wild animals like lion, tiger and leopard. This has affected our business adversely since these animals formed the backbone of the circus. Now the circus is solely dependent on the artists. So people have stopped coming to the circus," said Sai Baba, Owner, Prashant Circus.

ANI