Ringling Brothers elephants have put on their final performance.
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The Ringling Bros.’ elephant conservation center sits on 200 acres of land in rural Florida, halfway between Orlando and Sarasota.
One of the most f*cked-up parts of the circus has always been the animals kept there, specifically the elephants.
“The use of wild animal acts is not only inhumane, it’s archaic, and more and more customers realize that”.
Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus has officially retired the use of elephants from The Greatest Show on Earth.
Aria says the elephants are so used to these tethers that they won’t relax or eat without them.
The conservation center itself has also been at the center of some criticism.
The final troupe of performers are just some of the dozens of elephants who have been a staple of the American circus for two centuries.
The circus’ parent company Feld Entertainment has had several cases of alleged mistreatment of animals, The Washington Post reports, at least two involving the deaths of elephants in their care. They are joining the largest herd of Asian elephants in the Western Hemisphere.
The elephants were trotted out during the show on in Providence for a final “goodbye” to the audience, during which they propped themselves up on each other’s backs and performed headstands for the crowd.
How does the decision to retire elephants from the Ringling brothers Circus affect other acts under the big top across the country.
Ms Feld said Ringling will continue to use animals.
“They’ll be able to behave like elephants instead of circus animals”, she said.
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A man with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) stands next to mechanical elephant “Ellie” as he hands out leaflets outside the Ringling Bros. But none tour as widely or are as well-known as Ringling Bros.
