Does anyone ever look into the eyes of the animals used for entertainment?

So many people avoid it. But if you look- if you really look- you will see their distress and it is painfully clear.

After being transported across the country in chains and cages, they are now used for human entertainment at the Renaissance Festival. For several hours a day they are used and abused. Unable to avoid the shouting, crowds, extreme heat and being touched and ridden, the animals are exhausted and afraid. Some are so depressed they just look like they've given up completely. And this is just the first day.

I looked into the eyes of an elephant and felt her sheer exhaustion from having nowhere to go but in a circle with people on her back while being poked by a bull hook. She was so tired she could barely keep her eyes open, but was forced to keep going. Rotating all day with 2 other elephants, their only break is in the middle of the circle where they can't move at all.

I looked into the eyes of a horse and seen depression and despair from being dressed up like a unicorn and stuck in a confined area where people can laugh and point at her all day.

I looked into the eyes of a horse in a jousting match and seen his intense fear thinking he's really in a war and that he's afraid for his life.

I looked into the eyes of two kangaroos who are nocturnal animals trying to sleep. They are unable to rest because people are petting them continuously and they have nowhere to move and nowhere to hop around.

I looked into the eyes of a camel who was wailing in distress, clearly wanting to be left alone and not wanting to be ridden. He was tightly wound with rope around his face and a tight chain making it difficult to move until his turn was up to walk in a circle.

I looked into the eyes of several ring-tail lemurs, far from their home of Madagascar, now stuck in an appallingly small cage where humans can come inside to feed them.

I looked into the eyes of a beautiful cow, who was piled in another fenced area with several other farm animals who had no idea what would happen to him after this petting zoo was over with.

Of course, we can't even look into the eyes of the animals served as food because they are dismembered already so no one even thinks of them as they gleefully eat their body parts and wear their skins and tails. Do we really have to abuse animals in order to enjoy ourselves? Can we have a fun time with humans who volunteer or are paid to entertain us instead of animals who have no choice?

If we really looked into the eyes of the animals, we know what they would choose.

Photos from Minnesota Renaissance Festival