Feld Entertainment, the production company behind Ringling Bros and Barnum and Bailey Circus, has discontinued its elephant act and will be retiring its elephant performers. The show, which has been running for more than 100 years and is considered the world’s most famous elephant show, reached its end on Sunday with its final show in Pennsylvania.
“The care of exotic animals is a tremendous responsibility,” ringmaster Johnathan Lee Iverson said during the final show. “This is why our team of animal experts assure us we have the healthiest, happiest and most physically fit herd in the world.”
“The formations you see here tonight are based on natural behaviors,” he added. “Our other exercises are designed to keep our elephants circus-fit.”
The move comes after the company announced in March of last year that they would be retiring its elephants by 2018, but later moved the date up to May 2016. Caring for the 11 touring elephants had cost the company about $65,000 a year. Feld Entertainment has said it wants to use that money to focus on conservation and pediatric cancer research.
Feld Entertainment’s decision to retire the elephants and discontinue the act comes after mounting pressure from animal rights groups. The company, which a fought a number a lawsuits regarding the welfare and treatment of their animals, was fined $270,000 dollars for Animal Welfare Act violations.
However, despite these persistent efforts, Feld had showed no interest in retiring its pachyderm act until local US governments began to take action. Los Angeles and Oakland both banned the use of bullhooks and Asheville, North Carolina, banned performing elephants at the 7,600-seat US Cellular Center, which put limitations on the circus’ ability to tour.
As outlined on an online interview on the Ringling Bros elephant conservation website, company CEO Kenneth Feld explained that the shift in the public’s attitude towards touring wild animals was also an incentive for the decision.
The Ringling Bros now face the challenge of replacing one of their most popular acts. “Elephants in the circus in America have always been just about the most important ingredient; it was the way a circus was measured, and if it [didn’t] have any elephants, it wasn’t considered much of a circus,” said circus aficionado Ernest Albrecht.
New traditions such as a new ice-skating feature will help the circus evolve, said Feld spokesman Stephen Payne. He then went on to add that the new move is not an admission of guilt, insisting that the animals are not mistreated or harmed during the training and touring process. “You cannot make 9,000lbs do what 9,000lbs doesn’t want to do,” said Payne.
Feld will retire 11 Asian elephants to the Ringling Brothers Center for Elephant Conservation in Florida. Since its establishment in 1995, the conservation has stood as the headquarters of the circus’ breeding efforts and questionable training programs. As a result, it is uncertain whether the elephants will still be forced to perform.
#RinglingBros elephants may be “retiring,” but this is where they’ll be going—& it’s no sanctuary. https://t.co/P1CvnFfy9Y
— PETA (@peta) May 4, 2016
“While we celebrate the termination of this cruel and archaic practice, tragically, the elephants will not be spending the rest of their lives in nirvana,” the Animal Welfare Institute said in a statement. “Rather than sending them to a sanctuary, the elephants will be held at the company’s Center for Elephant Conservation in Florida, long known for chaining and keeping elephants on concrete and for using bullhooks and electric prods.”
“If they are calling it a sanctuary, it’s like calling a puppy mill a dog rescue,” said John De Leonardo, a Peta employee.
Despite the public’s growing awareness of animal right issues, the animal rights group has said that it will continue fighting for the elephants and other animal performers.
“We’re going to continue protesting until all the animals are out of the circus,” De Leonardo said.
#RinglingBros elephants’ last performance was Sunday. THESE animals shouldn’t have to perform in circuses, either!https://t.co/NAtgY221LS
— PETA (@peta) May 4, 2016
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There is a zoo in the netherlands with a small herd of elephants. One of those elephants is an old circus elephant, and you know what? Shee still knew her dance routines, and had even tought it to the other elephants in the enclosure. Sometimes three of ‘m would stand next to each other and to the “cancan”. And they really seemed to enjoy it. So although i find the use of exotic animals in shows quite appalling, that elephant didn’t seem very traumatized.
But then again, who really knows what goes on in those giant heads.
Bad writing. Got the headline, then scrolled forever to find just what the headline was getting at, before giving up. Rule ONE: be interesting!