When circus animals are not performing, they are confined to trailers, box cars or very small and filthy cages, and are shipped from city to city without being exposed to any living conditions that they would experience in their natural habitat (Advancing Public Knowledge of Animal Practices and Preventing the Abuse and Killing of Animals). These animals are often chained in one position for a large portion of the day, while being deprived of fresh air and sunshine, physical activity and exercise, as well as their ecological and social freedoms (Niedrich).
The lion shown in the image above is seen locked up in a small cage, with barely enough space for it to turn around.
Animals experience severe temperature fluctuations than what they are used to, which may lead to serious consequences costing their life (Niedrich). Serious confinement conditions are not only present during the transportation of an animal, but also during off seasons when circuses are not performing. Animals are kept in traveling crates or barn stalls, while some are even kept in trucks. These places of storage contain very harmful physical and psychological effects on the animals, including unnatural forms of behaviour such as repeated head bobbing, swaying and pacing (Circuses: Three Rings of Abuse). The living conditions of circus animals heavily affect not only they physical health, but their mental health as well.