Ringling Bros. and
Barnum & Bailey Circus will remove Asian
elephants from its traveling circus performances.
Under the plan, 13
elephants currently traveling with three circus troupes will
be relocated to the Ringling Bros. Center for Elephant Conservation in
Florida by 2018. There they will join the rest of the Ringling Bros. herd of
more than 40 elephants, according to parent company Feld Entertainment.
The circus will
continue to feature other animal performers, including tigers, lions, horses,
dogs and camels.
“There's been
somewhat of a mood shift among our consumers,” Alana Feld, the company’s
executive vice president, told the Associated Press. “A lot of people aren't
comfortable with us touring with our elephants.”
The move was
heralded by animal rights groups, including People for the Ethical Treatment of
Animals (PETA), which has been running an active campaign against Ringling
Bros.’ treatment of animals.
“After 35 years of
PETA protests, Ringling has announced that in three years it will end the use
of elephants in the circus,” PETA President Ingrid Newkirk said in a statement.
“The end of the animal circus is a time of great rejoicing for the animal
kingdom and for all animal rights activists.”
Feld Entertainment
called the move an “unprecedented change” in its 145-year old circus. The company will focus on its Asian elephant conservation programs,
both in North America and in Sri Lanka. Feld also said it 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.
“This is the most significant
change we have made since we founded the Ringling Bros. Center for Elephant
Conservation in 1995,” Kenneth Feld, chairman and CEO of Feld Entertainment,
said in a statement. “This decision was not easy, but it is in the best
interest of our company, our elephants and our customers.”