Drama queen Rakhi Sawant has stripped down to tiger stripes for a new anti-circus ad for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India. In the ad, Rakhi wields a whip as two men cower before her, and the caption reads, "Beaten. Tortured. Scared. Exotic Animals Belong in the Wild, Not in the Circus".
Rakhi was transformed into a ‘tiger’ by bodypaint expert Al Alva, and the ad was shot by photographer Colston Julian.
Rakhi said:
"Animals in circuses are beaten and denied everything that is important to them for their whole lifetime – all for a few cheap tricks. My plea to parents is that if your kids love animals, the last place you should take them is the circus."
Rakhi and PETA want people to know that animals in circuses are subjected to chronic confinement, physical abuse and psychological torment. They are trained under the threat of beatings and whippings and forced to perform under duress and the fear of punishment. Even though the government has banned the use of bears, monkeys, tigers, panthers and lions in performances, some of these animals continue to be illegally used in entertainment acts, including street performances.
