Animal rights activists claim major victory as circus closes
Ringling Bros. folding its tent after 146 years
Animal rights activists claimed a major victory Sunday after Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus said it would halt its show in May after 146 years.
The move comes as circuses have struggled with declining attendance and social pressure brought to bear by activists who argued the animals were sometimes poorly treated. Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus removed elephants from its performances last May, and the company said ticket sales then dropped drastically.
The company had battled ani- mal rights activists in costly court skirmishes but apparently lost the larger fight over public opinion. PETA, which has long crusaded against animal treatment, said the trend should accelerate.
“All other animal circuses, roadside zoos, and wild animal exhibitors, including marine amusement parks like Sea-World and the Miami Seaquarium, must take note: Society has changed, eyes have been opened, people know now who these animals are, and we know it is wrong to capture and exploit them,” it said.
Circuses have long been a part of the American social fabric. But the past three decades, in particular, have seen a growing concern for the health and welfare of wild animals that spend their lives in captivity.
Most people didn’t realize what went on behind the scenes, says Jan Creamer, president of Animal Defenders International. “As Ringling has found out, people are bettereducated and … recognize suffering and cruelty in other species. They don’t want to see animals suffer for 15 minutes of entertainment.”