A LION sits looking forlorn in a cage while its companions pace up and down, menaced by dogs teasing them outside their enclosure.

In another cage a monkey chews on a bit of grass it picked up through the bars.

But in eight hours it will be showtime and these animals will be centre stage as one of the main attractions.

These lions are the opening act at Stardust Circus - one of the few circuses in Australia to use exotic animals.

The RSPCA is calling for a state-wide ban on exotic animals in circuses and wants to make its campaign an election issue. The RSPCA's concerns are not directed at the treatment of the animals, which meet the requirements of the National Circus Standards, but against all use of lions and monkeys in circuses because the requirements of circus life are not compatible with the physiological, social and behavioural needs of these sorts of animals.

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Already 40 councils around Australia have banned circuses with exotic animals from council-owned land.

But in the North Coast town of Lismore, Stardust Circus owners have found a loophole in the council's policy and are holding their circus on privately owned land.

Jan Lennon, who owns Stardust Circus with her husband Lindsay, said they had worked with lions for the past 40 years and could not understand why people wanted them banned from circuses.

"We look after the animals and treat them as part of the family," Mrs Lennon said.

"We are trying to keep the traditional circuses alive, people expect to see them."

Mrs Lennon said they had started their own petition this year and had about 10,000 people sign their support for exotic animals in circuses.

"They are free to judge for themselves," she said. "We are on show 24 hours a day - we have nothing to hide."

Mrs Lennon said they had large lion enclosures which were not much smaller than those at zoos.

"These animals are born and bred in captivity, they don't know what the wild is like," Mrs Lennon said.

The lions slept for 20 hours a day and did not need to be entertained, she said, while the monkeys had swings to amuse themselves, she said.

RSPCA spokesman Mark Bond said performing circus animals were kept for prolonged periods in close confinement, in artificial social groups and were continually being transported between circus venues for the duration of their performing lives.

"The life of a circus animal leads to stress and boredom," Mr Bond said.

Animal rights activist and researcher Barry Spurr said state and federal governments should follow the lead of other countries such as Austria and legislate to ban the use of exotic animals in circuses.

Originally published as Time to end this exotic farce