Written at theantimedia.org
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus is making a big announcement today. The internationally famous circus will be ending the use of elephants in their legendary act.
Feld Entertainment, the parent company to the circus, said that the company will begin phasing out elephant acts from their three-ring spectacle. Elephants, which have been a central part of the Ringling Bros. act for over a century, will be eliminated from the performance all together by 2018.
Feld’s 43 elephants will eventually live on the 200-acre Center for Elephant Conservation, which is located in Polk City, Florida.
Kenneth Feld, Chairman and CEO of Feld Entertainment said,
“This is the most significant change we have made since we founded the Ringling Bros. Center for Elephant Conservation in 1995. When we did so, we knew we would play a critical role in saving the endangered Asian elephant for future generations, given how few Asian elephants are left in the wild . . .This decision was not easy, but it is in the best interest of our company, our elephants and our customers.”
This decision, which has been a long time coming, was made in response to a public outcry over the treatment of the animals.
