March 13--One of the historic logos of the Oakland Athletics is an elephant balancing on a large ball, brandishing a baseball bat. The decoration evoked familiar images of the circus, where dancing elephants were long a major draw.
But they'll no longer be a draw for the most famous circus of all, Ringling Bros. and Barnum Bailey, which has decided to phase out the use of these pachyderms -- partly in response, it seems, to regulations enacted in places such as Oakland.
For years, animal welfare groups have urged steps like this to protect elephants, and they have made a lot of headway. Several cities, including Oakland and Los Angeles, ban sharply-pointed poles known as bullhooks, instruments critics view as cruel, to control the giant beasts.
Last month, the city of Asheville, N.C., directed its U.S. Cellular Center to "refrain from contracting with promoters that include any wild or exotic animals," which meant an end to Ringling's visits. The trend shows no sign of stalling.
The parent company decided it was tired of resisting. "There's been, on the part of our consumers, a mood shift where they may not want to see elephants transported from city to city," said Feld Entertainment President Kenneth Feld. By 2018, the 13 remaining animals will be retired to a 200-acre private conservation area in Florida. "All of the resources used to fight these things can be put toward the elephants," said Feld.
Still, the decision came as a surprise. When Los Angeles banned the use of bullhooks in 2013, Feld Entertainment vowed to stop going there. It took the view that it wouldn't be a circus without elephants. P.T. Barnum, after all, began featuring them in his shows in 1870.
"It's pretty remarkable, since they've been fighting this fight for so long, and for over a century the icon of the American circus was the elephant," historian Matthew Wittmann told The New York Times. But Cirque du Soleil has emerged and thrived despite having no animals -- or because of it -- and Big Apple Circus gave up elephants in 2000.
The decision is a reflection of shifting attitudes about the treatment of animals. Some food companies have ordered suppliers to stop using tiny pens to house pregnant pigs. Some have renounced eggs produced in cramped cages. Some have insisted that cattle spend most of their lives in pastures, not stalls. These changes have occurred because some consumers demand them and others welcome them.
In the end, profit-making companies have to adapt to evolving standards. Otherwise they risk driving some customers away and damaging the images they want to cultivate. Refusing to change can be a costly distraction.
As Feld Entertainment Vice President Stephen Payne told the Los Angeles Times, "we're in the business of creating a circus. We want to put smiles on families' faces. We're not in the legislative battle business."
Ringling shows will still have plenty of things to enchant a crowd, from clowns to acrobats to tigers. The circus is supposed to be pleasurable, not polarizing. By retiring elephants, Ringling will make it easier to enjoy.
