Ringling Bros. Circus retiring its elephants after local law crackdown

Elephants are about to put on their last act as the iconic image of the Ringling Bros. Circus. Coming after more than 100 U.S. cities have passed ordinances restricting the use of elephants -- and decades of criticism by animal-rights groups -- the circus operators plan to phase out elephants in their act over the next three years. In retiring them to a 200-acre plot in central Florida, the circus will bring to an end a performance and tradition that began with the purchase of Jumbo by PT Barnum in 1882. Animal-rights activists are celebrating. "We're very happy that we're going to see the day when Ringling stops using elephants in circuses and that we're starting to see others go in that direction as well," PETA spokeswoman Delcianna Winders said. "We would just like to see that day come sooner because for those animals on the road, every single day is a day of suffering." The 43 Asian elephants form the largest herd in North America -- from Mysore at age 69, to the youngest, Mike, born at the Conservation Center two years ago. The handlers have been familiar with many of the elephants since birth...more