A huge victory for elephants has just happened! Ringing Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus has just announced that by 2018, the company will retire its elephant show. Once the elephants leave what the company calls “The Greatest Show on Earth” they will be sent to live out the rest of their lives at a 200 acre conservation center in Florida.
This move will end a more than 200 year marriage of the elephants and the circus, to the joy of many animal lovers. For a long time, those concerned with the elephants’ well-being have maintained that these highly socialized animals do not belong in captivity. Another point of contention is the circus’ use of the metal bullhook to train the elephants, and these tools are banned in several cities, thereby affecting the Ringling Bros. shows and making it extremely difficult to fight local legislation.
“There’s been somewhat of a mood shift among our consumers,” said Alana Feld, the company’s executive vice president. “A lot of people aren’t comfortable with us touring with our elephants.” You can say that again.
What do you think about this news?
