Farewell to Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus

Fox News goes backstage of the 'Greatest Show on Earth' to find out what some key performers think about Ringling Brothers Circus closing after 146 years

[@bradleycotton3237]

R.I.P., Ringling Bros. Thank you for 146 years of entertaining us. :'(

[@popsingerstar]

im gonna miss the circus sooooooo much :'(

[@sageyoku8003]

Wanna talk about animal abuse lets talk about how peta is putting down a bunch of dogs every day of the week for no reason.

[@mstrmren]

Source??

[@verniceaustin7276]

Thank you Ringling Brothers,I took all my children and my grandchildren. I'm so sorry that I could not take my last grandson before it ended. But thanks you for all the years we went.

[@123bigred]

im 32 I remember going to the barnum and bailey circus when I was like 12 in Phoenix arizona---good times

[@billybobjoe8578]

I will miss you greatly, hopefully someone will buy this brand and will bring it back in 10 years or less

[@JoseGonzalez-fw8wp]

God bless you......for all of my imagination n memories..for me just a moment to get away from the realities of life...from watching your brave performances and giving me....open possibities in my life. Thank you!!!!! 😃☺😂😂😁

[@BeanBag343]

Ringling Bros., don't worry about PETA. In fact, if I were you, I would wish PETA well. Because you'll be laughing your heads off when they're burning in hell!

[@glurpbot8048]

I think that if you shut down the circus it will just make matters worse. Because the animals were raised in captivity so they wouldn't know how to survive in the wild. Not only that but the actors, trapeze artists, clowns, ring master, animal trainers and all the other workers won't have a job anymore and they would have a hard time supporting their family. Not only that but the crushed hopes and dreams of children all around the world. Goodbye Ringling bros. and Barnum and Baily Circus. It was fun while it lasted, and thank you for the joy I felt while I was there. Though the circus will be gone, the memoroes will stay with us forever.

[@SapphireCreation100]

I was 46 years olds with my daughter and 2 year old grand daughter. First time ever, the show was spectacular! Deeply sadden it is ending.

[@chupacabra9357]

How are you only 46 and have a grandchild?

[@AnneLien1987]

Oh, yes because it's ok to watch poor animals being abused!!

[@markspinoso3362]

today society actually killed the greatest show on Earth after 146 years. I'm not big fan of keeping certain animals. but i find it hard to believe without hardly any room for negotiation. gone forever. this is a wake up call.

[@jamesdavis5096]

Ok, lets put you in a train car where you cant hardly move for 3 days, then beat you into doing tricks. That is what they did to those animals.

[@theduffys678]

The last time i seen RBBBC was 60 years ago it is something you will never for get .

[@Meirstein]

And here we see the issue. I went to the circus when I was 5, and never really gave a thought about going back. Seeing a man riding around on a zebra while doing a handstand is fun, but it's not spend 50 dollars on a ticket fun.

[@huesoc5213]

I grow up with the circus, why do you have to leave I miss you come back ringling brothers😭😭😢😢

[@katjones4840]

Wish it was coming to my state I'd go see it. Sad I'd love to take my kids

[@imal25]

The circus coming to the close after 146 years 25 alone I was been there since 1992 it was end of the era for good.

[@brokenwindow8161]

This is sad.

[@bradleycotton3237]

Maybe Johnathon will get cast as Aaron Burr in "Hamilton" or the Genie in "Aladdin" after this.

[@phoebecatgirl9968]

A very sad day yesterday. They're not going to mistreat their animals, or not a good show, or no show at all. PETA IS HELL! (Are you very proud of yourselves now?)

[@JVIPER88]

Of course they're proud of themselves. They did a great thing. All of these animal abusers are going down in flames. If you think they're lying, just type "Ringling Elephant Abuse" in KZbin and watch.

[@ferrilatamig8153]

So, uhh... Can I have one of the Tigers then?

[@CodyNexus]

I loved this circus and watching this gave me a really bad panic attack cause I'm gonna miss them.

[@4mydearlady]

I feel bad for the very talented performers. However, there are two sides to every story. On one hand Ringling Brothers rescued zoo animals that were about to be put down and housed them in a sanctuary even after they couldn't perform. That's comendable. However, the fact of the matter is there IS a history of animal abuse and fines with Ringling brothers. The hand-writing was on the wall. The CEO stated that Disney on Ice, Frozen on Ice, Monster Truck, Marvel Live, Supercross Live, etc. simply sell more tickets. And of course, Cirque du Soleil makes billions doing animal-free shows.

[@MrAntiSellOut]

Their last performance should've been held at Madison Square Garden instead of at Barklay Center

[@maz1407]

So tell me... do you wanna go? Where it's covered in all the colored lights... Where the runaways... are running the night Impossible comes true, it's taking over you Oh.... this is the greatest.. show

[@NCVIDS-jm2ei]

WHY IS THIS OVER before P.T Barnum died he said that this show would last for ever if P.T Barnum was still alive he would of tried to get the show back in the road it was even on the movie The Greatest Showman

[@AislinnCharmingtalon]

I hope circuses never ever fully go away. I dont care if the animals go away from them, (the animals are absolutely incredible but for obvious reasons yknow) just please never take away the circus and the amazing performers itelf/themselves.

[@Velocispic]

The last time I smiled was at your circus 3 years ago in Orlando. I was working the floor at the Amway center and I was absolutely mesmerized by what I saw. I've never seen anything like it. All of you were almost inhuman in the most glorious of ways. I didn't do my job, I was just standing there, in both shock and awe. Thanks for everything.

[@thepastcomesalive2082]

I get it, I understand it perfectly, it’s like if someone said there is no more major-league baseball tomorrow or no more Coca-Cola or Broadway is closing for good, they are other theaters but it’s Broadway I understand well it’s like that with a Ringling Brothers that is why it’s so disgraceful with the animal rights activist did.

[@thepastcomesalive2082]

My gosh it sounds like to me and it really does seem like this people are trying to take the fun out of life? That’s like if someone said no more dancing, no more good times, all of the Night clubs and dance halls are closing for good, anyone with any heart would be very upset and I’m all about good times and nostalgia. I’am very nostalgic especially when it comes to the circus, people trying to take the fun out of life I cannot except that and I’m sure a lot of people won’t either it seems these days that people are trying to take away everything including Christmas now they’re taking away the circus? You’ve got to be kidding me! What’s next for this country and the world?

[@kmartinez562km]

Going to miss this

[@Chef_Soloz_U]

The only problem with this is how you have a problem and you can't get it to be able and you have a problem

[@danaira3231]

I know i'm late but it's sad to see them go, I would have really enjoyed going there. And thank you for lots of years of entertaining thousands of people.

[@ohyeah1359]

I enjoyed the show, but the train parked next to our Walmart while it was in town and shoplifted them blind.

[@albertodillon]

I have seen the movie :" The great showman " it's sad that Barnum has closed

[@popsingerstar]

i thought the circus was never gonna end :'(

[@indominusrex7537]

I will always remember Jonathan as the ring master he was so good

[@bradyhughes3387]

For the people who think the elephants weren't abused in Ringlings..(and the other animals) OH! look an elephant "naturally" sitting on a rock with two legs in the air and it can sit on its head!? >;o well isn't that neat i guess ill take it to a circus and expect it to perform in front of a whole bunch of people! >;D. These animals WERE abused i don't have a single doubt. An elephant in the wild would have no use of walking in a straight line at a specific pace, stand on its head, sit with two of ifs arms in the air, and all the other unnatural tricks they were forced to do. Well why would this BIG elephant be afriad of a small little human? Because when it was a baby it was seperated from its mother and was beaten. The baby elephants were forced to do these tricks and If they didn't preform to the right standards? They were beaten again and the process continued until the trainers were satisfied. Everyone who worked at Ringling who knew about these beatings will rot in hell.

[@dited358]

So when a dog rolls over because you trained it to its abuse and the dog is afraid of you? You're an absolute dumbass and the problem with America is you.

[@groundbeef174]

i love you Ringling Bros😭😭😭😭don't quit we need you!

[@bradyhughes3387]

Fuck ringlings

[@davidhill8565]

Ground Beef Blame PETA

[@aldovera1746]

thats sad...watch cirque de soleil...it was always better

[@jamesdavis5096]

The greatest animal beating operation ever.

[@scarlettheap2131]

Atleast we got The Greatest Showman a few months later.

[@kittenkatt4404]

THEY’RE COMING BACK!!!!!!!!!

[@hadesangelos]

I've saw these shows a few times as a kid and got ride an elephant lol, nothing but good memories. It's sad to see them go. Fuck PETA and they're gloating, the Circus was more than just animals, it was a Synergy of Acts a fun experience to share with your family but i guess they're extinct now.

[@aldovera1746]

cirque de soleil was always better

[@micahfuller4271]

who else was there at April 8 2017

[@lonewolf6517]

How about we make animatronic elephants and it does not matter what a clown looks like as long as they are silly!!!

[@lonewolf6517]

#Imissbarnumandbailey

[@kaptainkpop6750]

PETA is to blame

[@BBQHoorn]

[@chelsea6624]

WOW ARENT I UPSET

[@noblevictory2200]

Ps.... I enjoy the many talents of PEOPLE... however the animals are hopefully now free to just be animal's in a natural environment. Let's hope and pray (๑ơ ₃ ơ)♥

[@Crionofenarr]

The animals are being sold off to private owners, where they will not be USDA inspected on a weekly basis for signs of abuse as they were in the circus.

[@maudi4425]

People they abused animals do some research!! And peta isnt the only one who did this, alot of people did. So dont cry its closed, because the animals suffer for youre entertainment!

[@dvgaming15]

They shouldn't have closed, though. They should've just stayed open without animal acts. Who cares whether or not they make profit? It was something that was fun for everyone young and old.

[@maudi4425]

true, idk why they didnt stayed opend without animals

[@commanderdeadhead812]

money and animals were their calling card kind of like Siegfried and Roy with their white tiger if it doesn't dell tickets its not going to last

[@timedwards5477]

don't go bring back the elephants _|_ the animal write activates

[@babeenloved6305]

Bye bye animal torturers

[@dragonfoxgamingfanclub1389]

lol now they have to get real jobs

[@babeenloved6305]

By garbage

[@asharyasharaal9521]

As the Romans said circuses and bread... and the masses will comply like idiots

[@elladrawswell]

I actually remember going to the circus when I was 3. It was beautiful. The only things I did not like about it were Bello the Clown and the mistreatment to animals.

[@AnneLien1987]

BEST NEWS IN YEARS!! So glad !! GOODBYE ANIMAL ABUSERS!

[@anyalee5056]

'the greatest show on earth' Come watch animals be abused?

[@raphiloi7024]

at least the animals are better now

[@noblevictory2200]

GOOD!!! SICK AND DONE WITH THE YEARS OF ANIMAL ABUSE SINCE THE BEGINNING!!

[@themisfits1412]

Thank you baby Jesus... Bout time. Zoo's are next eh?

[@nisadenehy5680]

im glad they are closing. all of those poor animals, the animals were TORTURED but i wish they would just take out all of the animal acts, i feel like great circuses dont need animals.

[@Crionofenarr]

You are misinformed. The animals were not tortured. Unless you have been to a circus yourself, do not make assumptions about how circuses care for their animals please.

[@nisadenehy5680]

Megan O I have been to multiple circuses including Barnum and bailey and I saw them using the bull hook use and them whipping the tigers

[@Crionofenarr]

So? Bullhooks are legal, USDA-approved, and sometimes REQUIRED BY LAW for use with elephants. It is a fiberglass stick with a blunted hook on the end, weighing about 4oz. An elephant weights FOUR TONS, is the size of a bread truck, and has more muscles in its trunk than you have in your whole body. And you have a problem that the 150lb person working with the 8,000lb elephant is holding a twig?? It seems you don't know what a whip is either. Have you seen Indiana Jones? That is a whip. Does the tool you saw being used with the tigers at Ringling look like a whip? The answer is no, because it's not a whip. It's a guider (that's the pole the trainer uses in one hand and rarely even touches the tiger with) and a popper (a string about the thickness of a shoelace with a frayed end. The frayed end causes a loud popping noise which is an audio cue to the tiger.) A leash can strangle a dog. A baseball bat can break someone's ribs. Does that mean anyone holding these items ought to be accused of TORTURE? Of course not. Anyone who uses a leash in a way that harms a dog deserves to be punished. Not EVERYONE who uses a leash. Anyone who uses a bullhook in a way that harms an elephant deserves to be punished. Not EVERYONE who uses a bullhook. If you have personal issue with animals in entertainment, that's fine, you're entitled to your opinion. You're not entitled to make nasty accusations toward people you've never met, who have done nothing wrong, and who don't deserve to be accused of animal abuse just because they use tools that are REQUIRED in their industry. It's understandable that you might not know how a bullhook should be used, or what a guider or a popper are...you don't work with animals so you can't be expected to know. But since you don't know, you really shouldn't make accusations based on something you have no knowledge of.

[@nisadenehy5680]

Megan O I actually do know because even though it is legal it still hurts the animals and imagine being hit over and over again , it causes the elephants to bleed and cry they also pace back and fourth showing signs of distress, the circus people may not know or may not try to hurt them but they are hurting . If your continually beaten by someone that person may be charged with abuses so it is the same with animals , just because they don't have verbal communication dosent mean they still can't feel pain, this is just my opinion on the matter, I still believe it is a shame that it closed but I am also relieved for the mental strain on the animals makes them go crazy

[@Crionofenarr]

You don't know. You've never worked with these animals. If I put you in a room with an elephant and asked you to administer veterinary care, you wouldn't have a clue what to do. For you to continue insisting that you know more about animal behavior and care than generations of animal doctors, breeders, and handlers is insulting and ignorant. The people who work with circus animals are not "circus people". They are veterinarians. This means that they have worked in animal hospitals, zoos, sanctuaries, and on farms. They work with all kinds of animals in many different environments. Veterinarians do not magically become animal abusers just because they work in the circus. Can you understand why it's incorrect, and very rude, for you to accuse anyone who works with circus animals of abuse? If you personally with your own eyes have seen elephants bleed and cry and pace as a result of being hit or abused, tell us the date that you saw it, the time, where you were, describe the person who was doing the abusing, and tell us which city/state animal law department you reported the abuse to so that we can reference your report. Otherwise, as someone who has not personally witnessed circus animal abuse, and as someone who is not educated in the animal sciences, you have nothing to say on either of these topics. You are entitled to your opinion, but you are not entitled to make false and generalized statements about people who work with circus animals. As a friend to many veterinarians I'm not going to sit quietly while you accuse my friends of horrible things.

[@desiella9058]

I am so happy Ringling Bros is coming to an end! Those animals no longer will be abused. Some people need to get over themselves! Oh well, there's so many other forms of entertainment!

[@dvgaming15]

Like sitting on our asses playing games on a mobile phone? Yeah. Paradise.

[@desiella9058]

DVGaming Nah, I think of a lot of things besides technology! How about you expand your horizons instead dreaming of sitting under the ringling brothers tent. Come out and get some fresh air! There's a lot of things to do and see besides animals doing stupid tricks!

[@otravez3916]

Good riddance to rubbish. Should have shut them down years ago. Long time coming, this.

[@homelessend8557]

Otravez 39 your abortion?