Ringling Bros Circus Elephants Will Be Retired May 2016 - National Humane Education Society

Paws Up!

To Feld Entertainment, Inc., for choosing to discontinue using elephants in circus performances.

Feld Entertainment’s Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Circus is coined “The greatest show on earth,” but for the wild animals that perform there, it is the saddest place on earth. What does it mean to be wild? According to the dictionary, “wild” means; not tame or domesticated; not kept as a pet or used for display, work, or experimentation, but living freely in a natural habitat. If anyone has ever been to the circus, they can attest to the fact that the wild animals living there live in a prison. Freedom is something that these animals will probably never experience. An anticipated highlight of the Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Circus is the performance by the Asian elephants. Being able to watch these enormous creatures in person, one cannot help but be filled with awe. If the Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Circus elephants knew what awaited them this May, one may hear trumpets of jubilation for the newfound freedom they will experience at the Center for Elephant Conservation in Florida.

According to a recent news article, Feld Entertainment, Inc., expressed its efforts to appease the animal-rights groups by retiring all of their elephants. A spokesman for the company stated, “We’re an entertainment company, not in the business of fighting legislation.” Originally the elephants were scheduled to retire in 2018, but according to recent announcements, the elephants will retire this May.

Take Action: Thank Feld Entertainment, Inc. for deciding to take this humane step by retiring all of their elephants. Ask them to do the same for the other wild animals they display in their shows.