Ringling Bros. Accelerates Elephant Retirement; PETA Remains Unimpressed

Ringling Bros. Circus Retires Elephant Act Amidst Controversy

The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, famously known as the "Greatest Show on Earth," has announced the retirement of its elephant act, effective from May 2016. This decision comes after decades of battles with animal-rights organizations and a series of controversies surrounding the treatment of its elephants.

The circus, which merged with Barnum's in 1919, has featured elephants since 1882, when P.T. Barnum purchased Jumbo, an African elephant, from the London Zoo. However, the elephant act has been a subject of controversy for many years.

In 2011, the company paid an unprecedented $270,000 in USDA fines to settle a lawsuit alleging Animal Welfare Act (AWA) violations. Mathews, an animal-rights activist, accuses Ringling Bros. of using guides, or long rods topped with pointy metal hooks, to beat, poke, and jab the elephants.

Mathews also claims that the Ringling center is "nothing more than a breeding compound," where conditions for animals are nearly as bad as they are on the road. PETA, an animal-rights organization, has filed at least 130 complaints with the USDA in the last 20 years regarding Ringling Bros.' treatment of animals.

Despite these allegations, Feld Entertainment, the company behind the circus, maintains that the retirement was a cost-benefit analysis. With public sentiment turning against the use of elephants as performers, the complexity of navigating local ordinances governing elephant performances became a significant challenge.

Instead of fighting a patchwork quilt of regulations, they concluded that they could use those resources for even more elephant conservation. The 11 elephants on tour will trade 1,000 shows a year and cramped transportation for a life with herd mates, pastures, toys, and contributing to cancer research.

The elephants will join 29 others at the Ringling Bros. Center for Elephant Conservation in central Florida. These elephants are instrumental in studying the phenomenon of elephants getting cancer at much lower rates than humans.

While the elephant act is being retired, the circus will still feature a variety of other animals, including tigers, lions, horses, camels, and dogs. For PETA and Ringling, a meeting of the minds is likely not in the cards.

This announcement comes ahead of schedule, with the circus going on hiatus in May and returning in July, about 40 tons lighter. The circus's history is rich and colourful, but it seems that a new chapter is about to begin, one that focuses more on conservation and less on performance.