*Ringling Bros. Circus To Phase Out Elephant Acts

*Ringling Bros. Circus To Phase Out Elephant Acts

The Huffington Post | By James Gerken | Posted: 03/05/2015 9:14 am EST
Excerpts:

"Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey, one of the United States' most famous circus companies, will eliminate elephants from its shows in the coming years, The Associated Press reported Thursday. Feld Entertainment, the parent company for "The Greatest Show on Earth," told the AP it would phase out elephants by 2018, citing animal welfare concerns.

"This decision was not easy, but it is in the best interest of our company, our elephants and our customers," CEO Kenneth Feld said in a press statement. Feld's 43 elephants, which form the largest herd in North America, will retire to a 200-acre sanctuary in central Florida."

.....

"The company also cited the difficulty of fighting local legislation that would affect their shows. Late in 2014, Oakland, California, became the largest U.S. city to ban the use of bull hooks -- a hooked tool commonly inserted in elephants' skin to train and corral them. Los Angeles also enacted a bull hook ban that will go into effect in 2017.

"This is a startling and tremendously exciting announcement," the Humane Society of the United States told The Huffington Post in an emailed statement. "With consumers now so alert to animal welfare issues, no business involved in any overt form of animal exploitation can survive in the long run."

read more:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/03/05/ringling-bros-elephants_n_6807340.html
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IMO: There have long been accusations of inhumane treatment of elephants in circuses, and they are the world's most patient animals being chained for most of their lives while waiting to do stupid tricks for stupid people that should have used their money donating to the Humane Society for legal action to free all the animals that are sure to die in captivity and away from their families and habitats they were born into.

All animals have the capacity to know and recognize their families and siblings. Elephant parents have a close family unit in the wild and the ability to return to a carcass of a dead family elephant and lovingly pick up the bones of the dead sibling for many minutes before moving away, a heart wrenching moment to watch when seeing the pain and suffering in the eyes of the grieving family members.

I think elephants are the dinosaurs of today because if we don't protect them now, they will be extinct both in the wild, and in captivity for circuses and further exploitation. But at least these 43 circus elephants will have a wonderful retirement habitat in Central Florida, free from the stupid brutality of humans and free to roam the many acres of their new habitat.

 

The oldest elephant in Japan died Thursday at the age of 69...

World's 'Loneliest Elephant' Dies After Decades In Concrete Enclosure
5/27/2016 - The oldest elephant in Japan, dubbed the world’s "loneliest elephant" by animal welfare activists, died Thursday at the age of 69.

 

Tanzania targets elephant poachers...

Tanzanian president tells security forces to pursue poachers
Mon, Oct 31, 2016 - The Tanzanian president on Saturday ordered the security forces to go after top criminals financing organized networks behind elephant poaching, saying no one is “untouchable.”

 

Man depressing.

This reminds me of a time we had visitors from overseas participate in a zoo trip with us. They remarked on how pathetic our zoos were because the animals appeared bored to death and they ate chips. It was a fair remark because they come from a place where humans have to be in caged vehicles when they go to some of the wildlife parks and those animals roam freely.

 

Ringling Bros circus to close down...

Ringling Bros circus to close 'Greatest Show on Earth' after 146 years
Sun, 15 Jan 2017 - The US circus that coined a world-famous slogan and upset animal activists is to close after 146 years.

 

Sad day. I'm 60 years old and one of the fondest memories I have from being a kid is my Dad taking my brother and I to the Ringling Bros circus each year when it came to town.

 

Read about them closing this morning as well.

I had a lot of fun watching the circus as a child, and brought my kids to it when they were young as well. Guess we were some of the last.

 

After 146 years, another American tradition bites the dust. Sad. When I was a kid, the circus was a big deal.

But, as traditions of the past fade away, new traditions are created. Every few years political conventions come to town. They don't have any performing animals, but we are still treated to clowns and silly entertaining antics.

 

Because of the way the animals are treated, I'm glad to see it go.

It reminds me of the magicians trick that charms children, where a bird is put into a box and disappears. The little tykes would be horrified if they knew the bird was in fact crushed into a pancake, to make them smile.

 

Ringling/Sells Floto were clients . We repaired their portable radios. I got to meet execs and performers. And I got free tickets. They were good people.

 

Even when I was a kid I never liked lion tamers or bears riding bicycles. I liked the clowns and acrobats etc. but now reality TV is the human freak show so there's no need for the circus.

 

Fifty sixty bucks a ticket gets pricey. There are plenty of other circus acts that can be seen if you want to get your trapeze on. I doubt the elephants going really was that big a deal. They have been struggling awhile from what I have heard. I saw them once and once when they were have a free to the public teaser afternoon to try to move tickets. I really do not think the value was there for the ticket price, but it was an okay way to pass the free afternoon when we went to that. Even in that free teaser show, they were still charging a la carte for some of the acts.

 

Actually the whole circus is closing

http://people.com/human-interest/ringling-bros-barnum-bailey-circus-closing-after-146-years/

 

Yep. The OP made the mistake of relying on the Huffington Post for information. A 146 year tradition ends, 500 people are out of work but the headline is about the elephants. (which were already being taken out of the Circus and sent to a preserve)

Perhaps we need to change the phrase when talking about the obvious - Instead of the 3 "elephant in the room" perhaps we need to start saying, the "Huffington in the room".

 

The circus is closing because without the elephants no one is coming

 

Even the famous Schumann Cirkus, across from Tivoli in Copenhagen is closed.

I think the future is Cirque du Soleil...

 

People are less tolerant of caged animals doing dumb pet tricks. Same goes for dolphins and orcas. If people want to see these critters, go visit them in their own domain. After 30 years of scuba diving, viewing an aquarium is bogus and sad.

 

For once we agree. That was my first thought when I heard this

Its even spread to pop music

[video=youtube;3stsDXki__U]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3stsDXki__U[/video]
What an incredible performance

 

Yeah do like this guy

[video=youtube;4HqepFm60cM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HqepFm60cM[/video]
I double dog dare ya

 

Meh! They were just a bunch of clowns anyway. The days of the circus are over. I went once when I was a kid, but have never taken my kids. I refuse to support animal cruelty.

 

Besides there is a new circus in town

 

The people wanted to see the elephants and they were denied service. Serves the circus right that no one came to see their act anymore.

Now this is a lesson for all other circuses not to allow the animal welfare people to get to them.

The people want to see the elephants. Get over it. Dog!

 

??? cirque du soleil?

 

Did you get a chance to see any of the videos showing how the animals are treated? I don't find cruelty amusing.

 

No, and neither did anyone else. People just want to see a show. That's why the elephant act customers are gone.