The curtain is coming down on “The Greatest Show on Earth.” The owner of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey has announced the circus, based for so many years on the Suncoast, will close in May after 146 years. Kenneth Feld, chairman and CEO of Feld Entertainment, posted a statement at www.ringling.com. Feld said that–quote–“Ringling Bros. ticket sales have been declining, but following the transition of elephants of the road, we saw an even more dramatic drop. This, coupled with high operating costs, made the circus an unsustainable business for the company.” The circus ended its elephant act last April following years of protests by animal rights groups. Since 1995, it has operated an elephant conservation center on 200 acres of rural land in Polk County. Feld thanked what he called the circus’ “amazing fans.” Ringling Bros. will perform another 30 shows before the final performance in Uniondale, New York, on May 21st.
