The elephants from Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Circus have officially retired. Ringling’s last 11 elephants will spend the rest of their lives at a 200 acre conservation center in Polk City.
- Ringling’s remaining 11 elephants were retired on May 6
- The females will spend their days relaxing at Polk City conservation
- Each elephant costs $65k a year
The circus bowed to political pressure this week and retired the pachyderms two years in advance of their original schedule.
At their new home, the Center for Elephant Conservation, the elephants were met with a welcome brunch full of fruits, vegetables and of course their favorite – an entire loaf of fresh bread.
Cora, Sally, Smokey, Ickey, and Alana are just a few of the female elephants who will now spend their time in the sun getting pampered.
The staff at Ringling called it bittersweet, saying the elephants have been a tradition in the circus for more than a century.
It turns out the elephants aren’t quite ready to hang up their hats yet, either. Trainer Ryan Henning says they’ve been known to continue their circus tricks during playtime.
"Even here in this environment, they're doing handstands to dig holes in the ground. They're still mounting on top of each other, playing and roughhousing," said Henning.
The conservation center may open to the public in the future. There are also plans to teach students about the elephants using Skype in the classroom.
Each elephant costs $65,000 a year to feed and take care of.