Ringling Brothers will stop all elephant acts as of May 2016

In the wake of growing concerns raised by animal rights activists and an increasing number of bans across the country, the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus will officially bring an end to its touring elephants act almost two years earlier than initially expected, the Associated Press reports.

The touring elephants were originally scheduled to be moved to the Ringling Bros.

70 year-old Asian elephant, Mysore at Ringling’s Center for Elephant Conservation. Center for Elephant Conservation could accommodate all 11 elephants now on the circus, hence the announcement of the expedited time line.

Feld says many cities have passed “anti elephant” ordinances, making it hard to plan tours.

When the circus rolls into town this August, patrons won’t have to deal with the elephant in the room.

When the 11 elephants take up residence with the 29 others in Florida, they will become part of the company’s pediatric cancer research partnership, Payne said.

Last year, Feld Entertainment announced that the elephants would be phased out and eventually retired by 2018.

There are about 32,000 Asian elephants-an endangered species-left in the wild, with about 250 in the USA, most at zoos.

As for the elephants, they will be studied in cancer research, as elephants rarely get cancer.

Elizabeth Hogan, US wildlife campaign manager at World Animal Protection, said elephants have to endure harsh treatment so they conform to instructions for circus tricks.

“We will all miss the elephants”, he said. She said the elephants should be sent to a sanctuary, not a for-profit center that receives a charitable deduction. Circus, Feld Entertainment, said a spokesperson for the company according to the AP.

‘We will all miss the elephants, ‘ he said.
’We don’t have many 9000-pound clowns’.

Ringling Brothers said it will continue to feature other “extraordinary animal performers”, including tigers, lions, horses, dogs and camels.

Animal rights groups have scored a major victory against the Greatest Show On Earth, but that isn’t stopping the protests.