Model-turned actor Sherlyn Chopra has again stripped in front of the lenses; but this time to protest cruelty on animals in circus.

Posing for a new PETA anti-circus ad clicked by Rakesh Shrestha, Chopra poses with a whip and chain next to the tagline "Whips and Chains Belong in the Bedroom, Not in the Circus".

"When I pose in chains, it's news, " said Chopra, "When circus animals live their lives in chains, it's business as usual. Only a sadist could take pleasure from watching while an animal is forced to engage in an unnatural act all in the name of 'entertainment'."

Four years ago, 21 circus-animals – including four sea lions, 10 dogs and seven cats – were burnt to death in Mumbai.

The animals had been abandoned on a field by the event management company that had brought them to India from Russia. A fire whipped through the tent where the animals were imprisoned and killed 21 of the 24 animals, said PETA's official website.

Animals in circuses lead lives of chronic confinement, constant physical abuse and psychological torment. They are trained under the threat of beatings and whippings and are compelled to perform under duress and the fear of what will happen if they resist. Circuses give audiences a distorted view of animals.

Animals do not naturally ride bicycles, stand on their heads or jump through rings of fire. In contrast to the glitter associated with circuses, performing animals' lives are miserable. Whips, ankuses and other tools are often used to inflict pain on animals and to force them to perform. Even the animals' access to water, food and veterinary care can be severely limited.

The conditions in which animals in circuses are kept are pathetic. Dogs are crammed into dirty cages and are hardly ever let out of them. Many birds have their wings clipped and are kept in cages so small that there is no room for them to fly. Horses are kept tethered on small ropes. Elephants are always tied by three legs, and trainers regularly beat them to keep them docile.

"Physical punishment has always been the standard training method for animals in circuses", said PETA India's Sachin Bangera. "Animals are beaten and whipped to make them perform – over and over again – tricks that make no sense to them."