Circus Taking Elephants Out Of The Entertainment Business

DETROIT (WWJ) - In the circus world, the elephant is becoming extinct.

The announcement by Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus to phase out the show's iconic elephants from performances is warming and welcomed, according to Ron Kagan, executive director of the Detroit Zoo.

"This is a great bold move they've made and I applaud them for it," said Kagan.

By 2018, Ringling Brothers will completely phase the animals out of the show.

"It's very stressful to move around the country and be on trains and trucks on a regular basis," said Kagan. "And frankly we've made clowns out of elephants in circuses for decades which is a very distorted and unfortunately very negative image of elephants and other animals."

In 2004, the Detroit Zoo became the nation's first major animal facility to give away its elephants solely on ethical grounds.

"When people have asked us over the past decade, looking back, I think our thoughts are the same as when we did it, which is, we wish we had done it sooner."

While in captivity elephants live a very difficult life says Kagan.

"(They have) very complex psychological needs, very complex physical needs," he notes.

Growing public concern about how the animals are treated led to the decision by the circus.