Elephants have delivered their final performance for the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.
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“The asian elephant has been the treasured symbol of Barnum and Bailey’s for nearly 146 years”, says Stephen Payne, Vice-President of Corporate Communications for Feld Entertainment.
The final shows in Providence were scheduled for Sunday at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.at the Dunkin Donuts Center in downtown Providence.
Ringling has said it will still use other animals in its shows, such as horses, lions, tigers and dogs.
“We love our girls”, he said.
There, the elephants will “enjoy time in the sun and mingle with their friends”, Payne said.
Ringmaster Johnathan Lee Iverson called them “true American icons”.
Earlier, the crowd watched as the elephants performed an act that had them dancing, balancing on each others’ backs, sitting on their hind legs and pretending to sleep. ‘This is her first circus and, unfortunately, it’s their last one’.
If you haven’t seen the “Ringling Brothers” elephants in action, you’re too little too late.
Then the parade of elephants sauntered off the stage in the exact way they had arrived, in a slow, synchronized march holding the tail of the elephant in front of them as their last show was streamed live on Facebook.
They are still used in other circuses in the U.S., but in recent years animal rights campaigners have thrown a spotlight on the welfare of these and other animals in the entertainment industry.
The herd of 40 will be the largest in North America.
The retirement marks the end of an era for the elephants, which were a big part of the Ringling bros.’ performances.
Senior Elephant Handler Alex Petrov interacts with the elephants after they appeared in their final show for the Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, US, May 1, 2016.
P.T. Barnum added the African elephant he named “Jumbo” to “The Greatest Show on Earth” in 1882.
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At least 17 countries have outlawed circus acts featuring wild animals, but the practice remains largely legal in the United States.
