The Complex Forces Behind Animal Festivals | Episode 76

From the running of the bulls in Spain to groundhog weather predictions in Pennsylvania, festivals featuring animals exist all over the world. Some are celebrated as cultural treasures, while others are seen as outdated, even cruel. These events often raise difficult questions: Are they harmless fun, or do they exploit animals for human entertainment? Do traditions justify practices that might otherwise be considered inhumane? And perhaps most importantly—can we honor our cultural heritage without harming the very creatures we claim to celebrate? 

Our guest has explored these questions firsthand. Elizabeth MeLampy is the author of “Forget the Camel: The Madcap World of Animal Festivals and What They Say About Being Human,” a book that takes readers on a journey across the United States to witness these festivals up close. She traces their histories, examines the ethical dilemmas they present, and asks what they reveal about our relationship with animals—and ourselves. 

So today, we’re asking the big questions: What does our use of animals in festivals say about us as a species? Where do we draw the line between tradition and exploitation? And is there a way to celebrate animals without causing them harm? 

While in law school, Elizabeth worked on issues related to farmed animals, wild animals, and captive animals with Harvard’s Animal Law & Policy Clinic. She also was in the inaugural cohort of Emerging Scholar Fellows with the Brooks Institute for Animal Rights Law and Policy, where she worked on animal law scholarship. Elizabeth has traveled the country attending these festivals, meeting the people who run them, and grappling with the contradictions they present. We’re excited to hear her insights and discuss what needs to change—and what doesn’t—when it comes to animals in entertainment.

Learn more about Elizabeth MeLampy here, and you can order her book here.

 

The Animal Wellness podcast is produced by Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy. It focuses on improving the lives of animals in the United States and abroad through legislation and by influencing businesses to create a more humane economy. The show is hosted by veteran journalist and animal-advocate Joseph Grove. 

 

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