A circus without elephants might be Swipe (2017)more humane, but apparently it's far less enticing.
The owners of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus said they will permanently end their 146-year-old show this spring. "The Greatest Show on Earth" saw a steep decline in ticket sales after removing elephants from performances in May 2016.
SEE ALSO: China announces a 'game-changing' step for elephant conservation"After much evaluation and deliberation, my family and I have made the difficult business decision that Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey will hold its final performances in May of this year," Kenneth Feld, chairman and CEO of Feld Entertainment, said in a Jan. 13 statement.
"Ticket sales have been declining, but following the transition of the elephants off the road, we saw an even more dramatic drop," Feld added. "This, coupled with high operating costs, made the circus an unsustainable business for the company."
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
The company broke the news to hundreds of employees on Saturday night after shows in Orlando and Miami.
The long-running circus has its roots in a spectacle that started two decades before the U.S. Civil War. Then a combination of freak show, zoo and museum, the event became a traveling road show in 1881. A year later, P.T. Barnum brought an Asian elephant named Jumbo to the United States.
The circus evolved over the decades into the flashing, fiery circus that many generations grew up watching. Throughout the years, elephants remained the show's staple.
But competition for children's attention has only intensified since the mid-20th century. For many kids, the appeal of a live circus -- even with its death-defying acrobats -- steadily dwindled as movies, TV shows, video games and the internet proliferated.
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable 
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable The broader public has also grown disenchanted with the idea of exotic animals as living performance pieces. (See also: SeaWorld's own dramatic downfall.)
Animal rights groups for decades targeted Ringling Bros., arguing that forcing elephants, tigers, lions and other animals to perform is cruel and unnecessary. A year-long investigation by Mother Jones revealed that Ringling circus elephants spent most of their lives chained up and under constant threat of bullhooks, the tools used to control elephants.
The circus found itself in a paradoxical position.
In May last year, following a long and costly legal battle, Ringling Bros. took elephants out of its shows and sent the animals to live on a conservation farm in central Florida. But then circus-goers -- many of whom said they didn't want big animals to perform -- stopped showing up.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable "We know now that one of the major reasons people came to Ringling Bros. was getting to see elephants," Juliette Feld, the company's chief operating officer and Kenneth Feld's daughter, told the Associated Press.
"We stand by that decision," she added. "We know it was the right decision. This was what audiences wanted to see and it definitely played a major role."
Feld Entertainment said the circus's existing animals -- including lions, tigers, camels, donkeys, alpacas, kangaroos and llamas -- will go to suitable homes following the show's final performance on May 21.
Associated Press contributed reporting.
Fritz vs. Ruud 2025 livestream: Watch Madrid Open for free
Elon Musk just endorsed Trump’s secretary of state pick, and it makes no sense
The Badlands Twitter account is the ultimate climate rebel
Please enjoy this dog's spruced up recovery cone
Amazon requires sellers to use more efficient packaging, or pay up
Playboy Club returning to NYC after 30 years, for better or worse
Government report finds that employers routinely use illegal, sexist dress codes
Julian Assange is having trouble making good on his promise of extradition
AMD Radeon RX 550 + Intel Pentium G4560
Pixie locator gadget will help you find your lost stuff using AR
Your 'wrong person' texts may be linked to Myanmar warlord
'The Last Jedi' director shares an exciting peek of the opening crawl
Dude makes extremely smooth save after face
Artist creates stunning statue out of knives to raise awareness about knife violence
8 Years Later: Does the GeForce GTX 580 Still Have Game in 2018?
Mario Batali can't resist a plate of nachos, either
WikiHow apologizes for whitewashed image of Beyoncé, Jay Z and Barack Obama
CNN trolls Trump
Trump's new tariff plan spares some smartphones, laptops
HP recalls 101,000 laptop batteries that could catch fire
Here's your first look at Telltale's 'Guardians of the Galaxy' gameSony's giant motionTinder is down and the app's most desperate singles are freaking outAirbnb continues to push Trips into more Asian countries'The Walking Dead' recap: Favorite characters return to their rootsFacebook just took a surprising stand on an important digital rights issueGoogle Scholar might finally be Google's way back into ChinaKim Kardashian talks publicly for the first time about the night she was robbed in Paris14 things we learned from Ewan McGregor's glorious Reddit AMAHere's every color the Samsung Galaxy S8 might come in, according to a new leakKim Kardashian talks publicly for the first time about the night she was robbed in ParisSXSW documentary sheds new light on Michael Brown's deathThe author of that heartbreaking dating profile for her husband has diedSeriously, stop sleeping next to your phone because another one just explodedTinder is down and the app's most desperate singles are freaking outThis YouTuber is the realest damn thing to happen to 'beauty vlogging'Microwaves may be spying on you, suggests Kellyanne ConwayYou might not know it, but this Kiwi city is a total street art wonderlandLittle brother denied hugging his sister after her big state championship winUptime — Watch videos together How to cast Oculus Quest to TV An elderly man's words about his late wife reduced a shop full of people to tears How to set up PS5 How to plan for 2021 after saying good riddance to 2020 Apple car will launch later than we thought, report claims Kim Kardashian and Jennifer Lawrence might be best friends now How to watch New Year's Eve fireworks at home How to connect and use PS4 and PS5 controllers on your PC Phish challenges fans to an online chess game on New Year's Eve 2020 Bella Hadid won't let anyone get away with pushing a woman Can you see who's viewed your Instagram? You don't have to celebrate New Year's Eve this year Oh nothing, just this cute subantarctic fur seal having a nap on the beach This Forever 21 shirt looks just like another shirt designed to benefit Planned Parenthood Little boy walks dog in astronaut costume, becomes instant Photoshop battle star ESPN is now the frontline of the American political How to enable 2FA on Xbox Steve Trevor's return in 'Wonder Woman 1984' raises some questions Twitter is downright horny for 'Bridgerton' memes 10 of the most anticipated TV shows to watch in 2021
1.9166s , 10132.9609375 kb
Copyright © 2025 Powered by 【Swipe (2017)】,Wisdom Convergence Information Network