The elephants are leaving the circus.
And no, it’s not because they got tired for working for peanuts.
The Feld Family, owners of Feld Entertainment, Inc., the parent company of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey, announced Thursday they will remove Asian elephants from the traveling circus performances by 2018.
Ringling Bros. brings the circus annually to the ShoWare Center in Kent, including Sept. 24-27 this year.
Under the plan, the 13 elephants traveling with the three Ringling Bros. circus units will be relocated to the Ringling Bros. Center for Elephant for Conservation in Florida, according to a Feld Entertainment press release. Forty elephants are now at that facility.
The circus will continue to feature other animal performers, including tigers, lions, horses, dogs and camels.
“This is the most significant change we have made since we founded the Ringling Bros. Center for Elephant Conservation in 1995,” said Kenneth Feld, chairman and CEO of Feld Entertainment. “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.
“Since then, we have had 26 elephant births. No other institution has done or is doing more to save this species from extinction, and that is something of which I and my family are extremely proud. This decision was not easy, but it is in the best interest of our company, our elephants and our customers.”
The Feld’s decision to drop the elephants from the shows came as good news to Ingrid E. Newkirk, president of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).
“After 35 years of PETA protests, Ringling Brothers has announced that in three years it will end the use of elephants in the circus,” Newkirk said in a prepared statement. “These elephants are lame, many of them have TB (tuberculosis), they have suffered so much and babies are being taken away from their mothers.
“But this is a day of rejoicing. But we would rather that the day comes today because three years is a long time to feel that whip and that bullhook.”
PETA stages protests each year when the circus comes to the ShoWare Center.
Feld officials said this unprecedented change in the 145-year old Greatest Show On Earth will allow the company to focus on its Asian elephant conservation programs, both in North America and through its partnership with the island nation of Sri Lanka.
The company will also continue to collaborate with other conservation organizations working to preserve the elephants for future generations. For example, the company has placed elephants at eight zoos, either on loan or through donations, and will continue to support the Smithsonian Institution’s research lab working to find a cure for diseases that impact juvenile elephants.
“Our family has been the proud steward of the American institution that is Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey, and our elephants, for 45 years,” said Nicole Feld and Alana Feld, Ringling Bros. producers and executive vice presidents with Feld Entertainment. “It is a legacy that we hold near and dear to our hearts, and as producers of The Greatest Show On Earth, we feel we have a responsibility to preserve the esteemed traditions that everyone expects from a Ringling Bros. performance while striving to keep the show fresh and contemporary for today’s families.
“As the circus evolves, we can maintain our focus on elephant conservation while allowing our business to continue to meet shifting consumer preferences.”
For more information about the Ringling Bros. Center for Elephant Conservation, go to elephantcenter.com.
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