POLK CITY, Fla. — The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus will phase out the show’s iconic elephants from its performances by 2018, citing growing public concern about how the animals are treated.
“There’s been somewhat of a mood shift among our consumers,” said Alana Feld, executive vice president of Feld Entertainment, Ringling’s parent company. “A lot of people aren’t comfortable with us touring with our elephants.”
Within two hours of the announcement, animal-rights groups took credit for the decision, saying that the pressure put on the circus ultimately led to Feld’s decision.
Feld owns 43 elephants, and 29 of the giant animals live at the company’s 200-acre Center for Elephant Conservation in central Florida. Thirteen animals will continue to tour with the circus before retiring to the center by 2018.
