I CANNOT BELIEVE IT. Ringling has announced they are going to eliminate live elephant acts in their show by the year 2018! CAN WE FAST FORWARD TIME PLEASE! I never thought this day would come!!!!! I’m nothing short of ELATED. Elephants are my most favorite animal and they are so sensitive and what Ringling does to them is despicably cruel.
If you aren’t aware, Ringling has a history of beating the crap out of its elephants. There are some horrifying videos out there. I’m not linking because then I’d have to look them up and I’m still scarred from the first time I saw them (the “make ‘em scream!” one…SHUDDER).
From NYT:
“There’s been somewhat of a mood shift among our consumers,” said Alana Feld, the company’s executive vice president. “A lot of people aren’t comfortable with us touring with our elephants.”
Feld owns 43 elephants, and 29 of the giant animals live at the company’s 200-acre Center for Elephant Conservation in central Florida. Thirteen animals will continue to tour with the circus before retiring to the center by 2018. One elephant is on a breeding loan to the Fort Worth
Zoo.
Another
reason for the decision, company President Kenneth Feld said, was that
certain cities and counties have passed “anti-circus” and
“anti-elephant” ordinances. The company’s three shows visit 115 cities
throughout the year, and Feld said it’s expensive to fight legislation
in each jurisdiction. It’s also difficult to plan tours amid constantly
changing regulations, he said.
“All
of the resources used to fight these things can be put towards the
elephants,” Feld said during an interview at the Center for Elephant
Conservation. “We’re not reacting to our critics; we’re creating the
greatest resource for the preservation of the Asian elephant.”
I mean, obvi this dude does not care about elephants, but fuck it. I’m happy, whatever his motivation. I’m sure the living situation will not be as good as it could or should be but at least no more bullhooks for these eles! OMG seriously, I’m about to cry. The abuse of eles in the circus has always been especially upsetting to me. And maybe with Ringling taking this action, the other smaller circuses will follow suit.
Of course Ringling will still be using all the other poor animals in the show. BUT this is a START! Progress, everybody. Progress.
OMG I can’t wait until 2018!!! Free the eles! LET’S WATCH THIS BABY ELE PLAY WITH A RIBBON TO CELEBRATE!