Quote Originally Posted by Kcl View Post
I don't believe that it is possible to support elephants in any acceptable way in a traveling circus with the nature of the species. They are highly social animals and we currently are poor at maintaining them even in environments that are far more tailored for their health like zoos. Their average lifespan is still significantly lower in captivity than in the wild although it is improving with zoo's improved efforts. I also don't think that the evidence really supports a change in society's willingness to go to live entertainment- Cirque du Soleil is wildly successful and is a "circus" without animals.

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I see your point, but I think Cirque de Soleil and Ringling Bros are worlds apart. Although similar to a circus, it's also much more theatrical. This, I believe is because the target audience is adults, where the target audience for Ringling Bros was children. Yes, live entertainment is alive and well, but it seems like it's being lost on the younger generations.