Saturday, January 14th, was a big down at the big top. After 146 years, Ringling Brothers and Barnum Bailey Circus will be wrapping up a tradition your grandparents, and even their grandparents, attended. The decision wasn't easy, but it was necessary in a day and age where the public has only scrutinized the "Greatest Show on Earth" for being cruel to its animals and not entertaining.
In a statement on the show's website, Feld Entertainment Inc., the family-owned parent company of Ringling, said
"The decision to end the circus tours was made as a result of high costs coupled with a decline in ticket sales, making the circus an unsustainable business for the company. Following the transition of the elephants off the circus, the company saw a decline in ticket sales greater than could have been anticipated."
For years, PETA, the Human Act, and numerous individuals and local groups have protested and fought legally to terminate the exotic animals act. The elephants were treated cruelly being whipped often, chained in the arenas, stuffed in cramped cages, chained down, even branded with a star. To fight the negative public image, Ringling built a state-of-the-art facility in central Florida called The Center of Elephant Conservation. Not open to the public, the conservation is home to all of the show's retired elephants . There, they roam around on grassy land, play in sand and water as well as interact with other elephants. Research is also conducted there to learn more about cancer in elephants. This would eventually become home to all of Ringling's tusked friends, as the act was retired after 145 years due to ongoing legal issues and cities, such as Los Angeles, imposing strict laws. PETA came out with a statement:
As of May, the saddest show on earth for wild animals will end. Thirty-six years of PETA protests, of documenting animals left to die, beaten animals, and much more, has reduced attendance to the point of no return.
But it wasn't just the elephants that made the end visible. Feldman Entertainment CEO, Kenneth Feld, said in the statement it was a tough decision to end the circus, which was a family tradition for years. Rising costs played a key role. The circus always focused on keeping the show affordable. However, that was becoming less and less viable as ticket sales kept declining.
In an interview with the Associated Press, which broke the news, Feld said the circus couldn't compete with times and modern trends. Phones, apps, social media and websites took over from the show. Unlike the times, the circus was unable to compete with the era and modernize. The show is just over two hours, with the longest segment being the lions or tigers at 12 minutes. Feld said it was basically impossible to keep children's attention for that long. They even attempted to keep up with the times by creating an interactive app and hiring the first African American and female Ringleader.
For the cast and crew of the show: hundreds will be left without a job. Feld Entertainment said they'd help everyone build a resume and look for another job. Potentially they could be hired within the same parent company, which also puts on "Disney on Ice" and more.
The show, which at all times has two different teams performing around the country, traveling by train, will be under the big top for the last time on May 7th, in Providence, Rhode Island and Uniondale, New York.
