The Ringling Bros. Elephants Are Retiring Ahead of Schedule

It said it determined it had enough land and buildings for the incoming elephants to live in appropriate social groupings.

The company initially announced that they would be retiring the elephants by 2018, but the process has moved forward much faster.

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

Feld Entertainment spokesman Stephen Payne said that after analyzing the space, pasture and water supply of the 200-acre conservation center, “we came to the conclusion that we could do this sooner than 2018”.

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 employees mistreated elephants.

There are now 11 elephants on tour with the circus, which owns the largest herd of Asian elephants in North America. Ringling Bros. went as far as to hire a private investigator to secretly film LCA’s President; but the investigator switched sides, and now openly acknowledges Ringling Bros.’ cruelty to elephants, as seen in the video here. It now costs $65,000 yearly to care for each elephant, 11 of which tour with the circus troupes.

When the initial retirement announcement was made in March, Ringling Bros. had 13 elephants traveling for its shows. The new legislation has become too expensive to fight, says Feld Entertainment CEO Kenneth Feld.

Adam Roberts, chief executive of Born Free USA, said the decision showed that the public no longer accepts performances by wild animals.

Animal welfare groups are pressing Ringling Bros to end all animal acts, but the company still plans to showcase tigers, lions, horses, dogs and camels. Though nothing has been proven, researchers believe that elephants may one day hold the key to successfully protecting humans from developing various forms of cancer in the future.

The circuses have faced accusations of maltreatment and unsuitable living conditions for the elephants for over a decade.