JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Thursday night was the last performance in Jacksonville for 11 elephants touring with The Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus.
The circus has decided to close the curtains on its iconic elephant act in May.
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Last year, the company announced they were retiring the elephant tour by 2018, but decided to end the act this year.
Not everyone is happy to see them go. Doris Pigut, said the decision to retire the elephants doesn’t make sense.
“I think it's a little ridiculous. There's been elephants in the circus for ever since it opened and we been using elephants as service animals for thousands of years,” Pigut said.
Angela Jones agrees with Pigut.
“For some people, it’s their only opportunity to see elephants and from what I understand they take really good care of them,” Jones said.
Animal rights groups criticized the company’s practices and more than 100 cities passed anti-circus and anti-elephant ordinances that would restrict animal performances.
Jonathan Iversen, ringleader for the circus for 16 years, said the elephants have always been treated well.
“We are the greatest show on earth and we've been doing this for 146 years," Iversen said. " Our animals are a part of us.”
The elephants will spend their retirement at the company's 200-acre Center for Elephant Conservation in central Florida.