Ringling circus elephants to retire in May

Because of this, Feld Entertainment announced in March of 2015 that it would be phasing out its elephant act by 2018. “Center for Elephant Conservation will allow the company to focus on its Asian elephant conservation program and the pediatric cancer research partnership with Dr. Joshua Schiffman of Primary Children’s Hospital and The Huntsman Cancer Institute in Salt Lake City, Utah”, the statement said.

“There’s been somewhat of a mood shift among our consumers”, said Alana Feld, the company’s executive vice president. The elephants will appear at the Barclays Center next month.

The company accelerated the retirement plan after concluding its 200-acre Center for Elephant Conservation in central Florida had enough barn space, water and waste disposal capacity to hold the 11 elephants still on tour, spokesman Stephen Payne said.

According to the circus, the Asian elephants will retire to Florida.

Last year, Los Angeles and Oakland banned the use of bullhooks by handlers.

A company spokeswoman said that after officials began preparing for the move, they realized they could transfer the almost dozen touring elephants “much sooner than anticipated”. The city of Asheville, North Carolina, also nixed wild or exotic animals from performing in the municipally owned, 7,600-seat U.S. Cellular Center.

“We’re looking at a lot of new ways of doing things”, Feld said. Many local governments also have added regulations making it harder for the circus to tour with the animals.

Scientists say cancer is rare in elephants, even though they have more cells than humans.

“From now until May 2016, our elephants will continue to be a part of that wonderful experience, and we invite families that want to see our awesome elephants perform one last time to have an opportunity to do so”.

In 2014, Feld Entertainment won $25.2 million in settlements from a number of animal-rights groups, including the Humane Society of the United States, ending a 14-year legal battle over allegations that Ringling circus employees mistreated elephants.

It urged Ringling to send the elephants to a bona fide animal sanctuary with conditions similar to those they would find in their natural habitat.