PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — The curtain fell a final time for elephants performing at Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus as the circus ended a practice that enthralled audiences for two centuries but became caught between animal rights activists' concerns and Americans' shifting views. Six Asian elephants danced, balanced on each others' backs and sat on their hind legs during their last show in Providence, Rhode Island on Sunday. "This is a very emotional time for us," Ringmaster Johnathan Lee Iverson told the crowd as the performance came to an end. He called elephants beloved members of the circus family and thanked the animals for more than 100 years of service. "We love our girls....
↧