End of an era for Mexican circuses
Alex Fuentes coaches Furia, a female Bengal Tiger, during a performance with the Fuentes Gasca Brothers Circus in Mexico City, June 22, 2014.
For five generations, Fuentes' family has been running the Fuentes Gasca Brothers Circus in Mexico City, but a new law has him worried about its future. Last week Mexico City's legislative assembly banned the use of animals in circuses, responding to months of pressure from animal activists.
The law is set to take effect a year from now, and it promises steep fines for noncompliance.
Mexico City
Aineses Macias waits to perform during the Fuentes Gasca Brothers Circus in Mexico City, June 22, 2014. Like many of the performers in the circus Macias was born and raised in the circus.
Many circus performers fear they’ll be out of work without animals because people won’t want to come to the circus only to see the acrobatic, trapeze and performances by clowns.
Mexico City
Brenda Huerta, 6, and her sister, Daniela, 5, react to circus animals during a performance of the Fuentes Gasca Brothers Circus in Mexico City, June 22, 2014.
Mexico City
Bebeto Fuentes coaches Boster, a camel, during a performance with the Fuentes Gasca Brothers Circus in Mexico City, June 25, 2014. Besides the camel the Fuentes Gasca Brothers also own horses and other exotic animals including tigers and a zebra.
Mexico City
Karla Rosales, one of the performers with the Fuentes Gasca Brothers Circus, heads back to the the dressing room between performances in Mexico City, June 22, 2014.
Mexico City
The entrance to the circus is vacant between performances in Mexico City, June 25, 2014.
Sandwiched between a Sam’s Club and a Wal-Mart on the outskirts of the city the circus has been in existence in one location or another in the city for five generations.
Mexico City
Alex Fuentes prepares before a trapeze performance at the Fuentes Gasca Brothers Circus in Mexico City, June 22, 2014.
Like many of the performers in the circus Fuentes was born and raised in the circus where his father was also an animal tamer and trainer. Fuentes and other performers at the circus fear that people won’t come to a circus without animals. “It’s the circus, its magical and its what I’ve dedicated my life to since I was 15 and now they want to take away from me what I’ve desired my whole life,” said Fuentes, now 30.
Mexico City
Alma Orocco, the ringmaster, waits backstage at the Fuentes Gasca Brothers Circus in Mexico City, June 25, 2014.
Orocco and hundreds of other circus performers have taken to the streets of Mexico City recently to protest legislation that will ban the use of animals in the circus. The circuses have one year to change their acts or face steep fines.
Mexico City
A family watches a performance of the Fuentes Gasca Brothers Circus in Mexico City. Attendance has been dwindling at the performances after a six-month ad campaign financed by animal rights groups, said Xochitl Fuentes, one of the owners of the troupe.
Now, after the recent legislation which bans the use of animals in the circus, Fuentes fears nobody will want to come. “If they take the animals out of the circus the circus is going to die,” said Fuentes, who is mother to four of the brothers who perform in the circus.
Mexico City
A tiger jumps through a ring of fire during a performance of the Fuentes Gasca Brothers Circus in Mexico City. Besides frequent training sessions the tigers only leave their cages for daily performances.
The tigers are declawed when they are babies as to not harm the trainers, said Alex, who had suffered an injury a few years ago when one of his tigers bit into his thigh leaving gaping hole. It took him two months to recover.
Mexico City
Bebeto Fuentes, one of the performers with the Fuentes Gasca Brothers Circus, wears a vest with a sequined image of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City, June 25, 2014.
Like many of the performers at the circus Fuentes performs in a variety of capacities including trapeze artist, clown, acrobatics and animal trainer.
Mexico City
Performers wait behind the curtain before a show at the Fuentes Gasca Brothers Circus in Mexico City, June 22, 2014.
The performers work two shows everyday with the exception of Sundays when they work four shows.
Mexico City
A performer balances on a tight rope during the Fuentes Gasca Brothers Circus show in Mexico City, June 25, 2014.
Approximately 100 people are employed by the Fuentes Gasca Brothers Circus.
Mexico City
Furia, a female Bengal Tiger, looks at Alex Fuentes, the trainer, during a performance with the Fuentes Gasca Brothers Circus in Mexico City, June 22, 2014.
Besides their daily feed of two whole chickens, Fuentes still on occasion feeds the tigers special nutrient filled milk by hand out of a baby bottle. “Its good for their digestion,” he said.
Mexico City
A circus worker helps construct a temporary enclosure around the ring to protect the audience from the tigers at the Fuentes Gasca Brothers Circus in Mexico City, June 22, 2014. The tigers used in the circus are Bengal Tigers that range in weight from 350 to 500 pounds.