Taking Down the Big Top: The Animal Rights Movement and the Rise and Fall of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus

In my thesis, I explore the use of animals in Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus through the lenses of ethics and animal rights, environmental history, political science, and conservation biology. How have changes in... [ view full abstract ]

In my thesis, I explore the use of animals in Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus through the lenses of ethics and animal rights, environmental history, political science, and conservation biology. How have changes in public sentiment and animal welfare legislation impacted the circus industry and how has Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey responded to these changes? Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey retired its elephants a few years ago, and it announced at the beginning of this year that it will be shutting down in May due to financial/economic reasons. As animal rights rose in the public psyche and political landscape, political action against Ringling Bros. increased and was a major factor that led to the retirement of its elephants and ultimately its closure. This drama reveals much about how the public views animals and our relationship with them. While much of the public has begun to see animal acts as demeaning to animals, others argue that they foster an appreciation for wild animals. The closure of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus signifies the end of an era in American culture. We are shifting towards a society in which people feel more respect for the rights and dignity of wild animals but may ultimately be less connected to animals in their everyday lives. This shift could have both positive and negative consequences for conservation and human-animal relationships.