Lions and monkeys are common exotic animals who feature in animal circuses alongside domestic animals. They are routinely subjected to months on the road confined in small, barren cages as the circus travels from state to state in Australia. The enclosures they live in deny them every opportunity to express their natural behaviours. During the circus performance animals are forced to perform unnatural acts such as balancing acts, walking tightropes and performing 'dances' in order to entertain human audiences.. In order to make the animals do such unusual things they are known to be subject to training techniques often based on fear and punishment, as revealed by numerous undercover investigations.

In 2021, Stardust Circus, the last circus which used wild, exotic animals ended this practice, retiring their six lions and four monkeys due to issues with insurance. However, they continued to use other animals, including horses, dogs and goats. Although the practice of using wild animals in circuses has effectively ended in Australia, it is not banned nationally. 

Stardust Circus remains operating to this day, and animals still feature as a large part of their performance. 

In 2021, a kelpie dog named Blossom fell 1.5 metres while climbing a ladder to walk a tightrope as part of a show by Silver Circus. Despite her fall, she was encouraged to continue the show by her handlers.

Australian circuses continue to use animals in their performances, including dogs, ponies, camels and goats.

Many circuses, including the world famous Cirque Du Soleil have shown that circuses without animals can be entertaining and exciting, without forcing animals to perform in ways that are far removed from their natural behaviours. Animals deserve to live their lives freely, not forced to perform for our entertainment.