Blog: I’ve been hanging around the circus quite a lot lately, writes Ben Bentley. It’s a long story and one that has mainly involved wearing make-up and comedy shoes, but we won’t go into that.

There is a serious point here. My first thought on going along to a quite fabulous circus during its recent visit to Telford was this: where are all the animals?

As a child I recall visiting another circus, and sitting ringside as performing lions and zebras were led into the Big Top. I’m working from memory here, but I seem to remember a man in a sparkly suit and a cane getting them to do the kind of tricks you wouldn’t ask your doddery old nan to do.

So it’s good to see that many circuses have moved on, away from these kind of practices.

But evidently others haven’t. We see today that MP Mark Pritchard has branded the centuries-old practice of performing animals as ‘barbaric’ and is spearheading a campaign that could see the use of animals in circuses banned.

The RSPCA estimates that between 150 and 200 animals are currently used in circus in the UK, and more than 30 of them are wild animals, including elephants, zebras, lions, snakes, tigers, camels, a kangaroo and crocodiles.

Currently there is no law to prevent circuses using certain types of animals. Circus animals are protected by the Animal Welfare Act 2006, but the need for greater protection has been recognised and fought for by campaigners.

During my recent visit to the circus, I didn’t miss the fact that there were no performing animals. Human showmanship more than compensated for the lack of lions perched on conference chairs.

Indeed, what does getting animals to do what humans do, and then asking us to clap at their unnatural performances, say about us?

As a child sitting in the audience of a circus I had no concept of animal welfare. I didn’t think about all the hours they spent caged up, travelling. I didn’t think about them being chained to a stake in the ground. I just clapped when, come showtime, they did things I didn’t think animals could.

Those in favour of animals in circuses might argue that there is a purpose for animal use in circuses – that a routine can show the special relationship man has with beast.

But getting them to perform inappropriate tricks in the name of entertainment does nothing to foster respect for animals and, in any case, we should be more secure about our place in the animal kingdom. And there really is no need to get an elephant to shake hands afterwards.