End of the road for world-famous circus

THE curtain is coming down on “The Greatest Show on Earth” after 146 years, as Ringling Bros and Barnum and Bailey Circus lowers its big top for good.

The iconic American spectacle, which ends in May, was felled by a variety of factors, bosses say – declining attendance combined with high operating costs, changing public tastes and prolonged battles with animal rights groups all contributed.

“There isn’t any one thing,” said an emotional Kenneth Feld, chairman and CEO of Feld Entertainment, which owns the circus.

“This has been a very difficult decision for me and for the entire family.”

The company broke the news to circus employees on Saturday night after shows in Orlando and Miami in Florida.

Ringling Bros has two touring circuses and will perform 30 shows between now and May. The final shows will be in Providence, Rhode Island, on May 7 and Uniondale, New York, at the Nassau County Coliseum on May 21.

The circus, with its exotic animals, flashy costumes and deathdefying acrobats, has been a staple of entertainment in the United States since the mid-1800s.

Phineas Taylor (PT) Barnum made a travelling spectacle of animals and human oddities popular, while the five Ringling brothers performed juggling acts and skits from their home base in Wisconsin.

Eventually, they merged and the modern circus was born.