Posted 3/17/2015 7:42:25 PM by Don Covington
News from Feld Entertainment Press Release viewed 853 times
Tuesday, March 17, 2015 - Florida
Elephants will go to Florida ...
Media Contact: Stephen Payne
(703)749-5505,
spayne@feldinc.com
Feld Entertainment Announces
Unprecedented Changes to Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus
Ringling Bros. Herd of Asian
Elephants Will Be Moved to the Ringling Bros. Center for Elephant Conservation
in Florida
March 5, 2015 - - Ellenton,
Fla. - - The Feld Family, owners of Feld Entertainment, Inc., the parent
company of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey®, announced
plans today to remove Asian elephants from their traveling circus performances.
Under the plan, 13 elephants currently traveling with the three Ringling
Bros. circus units will be relocated to the Ringling Bros. Center for
Elephant for Conservation® in Florida by 2018. There they will join the rest of
the Ringling Bros. herd of more than 40 elephants.
The Ringling Bros. Center
for Elephant Conservation is already home to the largest herd of Asian
elephants and the most successful breeding program for this endangered species
in the Western Hemisphere. The circus will continue to feature other
extraordinary animal performers, including tigers, lions, horses, dogs and
camels.
This unprecedented change in
the 145-year old Greatest Show On Earth®will allow the company to
focus on its Asian elephant conservation programs, both here in North America
and through its partnership with the island nation of Sri Lanka. The company
will also continue to collaborate with other conservation organizations working
to preserve this magnificent species for future generations. For example, the
company has placed elephants at eight zoos, either on loan or through
donations, and will continue to support the Smithsonian Institution’s research
lab working to find a cure for diseases that impact juvenile elephants.
“This is the most significant
change we have made since we founded the Ringling Bros. Center for Elephant
Conservation in 1995. When we did so, we knew we would play a critical role
in saving the endangered Asian elephant for future generations, given how few
Asian elephants are left in the wild,” said Kenneth Feld, Chairman and CEO of
Feld Entertainment. “Since then, we have had 26 elephant births. No other
institution has done or is doing more to save this species from extinction, and
that is something of which I and my family are extremely proud. This decision
was not easy, but it is in the best interest of our company, our elephants and
our customers,” he added.
“Our family has been the proud
steward of the American institution that is Ringling Bros. and Barnum &
Bailey, and our elephants, for 45 years. It is a legacy that we hold near
and dear to our hearts, and as producers of The Greatest Show On Earth, we
feel we have a responsibility to preserve the esteemed traditions that everyone
expects from a Ringling Bros. performance while striving to keep the
show fresh and contemporary for today’s families,” said Nicole Feld and Alana
Feld, Ringling Bros. producers and Executive Vice Presidents with Feld
Entertainment. “As the circus evolves, we can maintain our focus on elephant
conservation while allowing our business to continue to meet shifting consumer
preferences,” they added.
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