Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey - Barnum Bash

Our entire family loves elephants, that is why we don’t go to circuses anymore. After learning about what life is really like for circus elephants we realized there’s no family fun to be had at an event that involves abusing and beating these majestic elephants to make them entertain us for a few minutes. The evidence that Ringling Bros starts beating their elephants when they are babies is overwhelming and we cannot ignore it. We would never condone or allow someone to treat our family animals inhumanely, just to make them perform tricks.
Now we support the two elephant sanctuaries in the US. We can watch via a webcam elephants living in a more natural setting The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee and PAWS in California. Your family can learn about the 25 elephants many who are former circus elephants that have lived there since being rescued.
http://www.elephants.com/elecam/
http://www.pawsweb.org/index.html

When Ringling Bros Circus was in Atlanta Georgia, Lima one of their zebra’s escaped the corral set up in a downtown parking lot and was running down the highway, he never recovered from his injuries. This is another reason why Wild Zebras & Elephants shouldn’t be in traveling Circuses, living in boxcars, and herded down city streets to the arena. Ringling statement about the escape, “This rarely happens,” folks this is the 4th time in 3 years that Ringling’s zebras have gotten away. 4/10/08 Ringling cited by USDA, Inspector noted that on 3/20/2008, two zebras on the Red Unit exited from a partially open roll-up door. 3/20/08 three of the zebras who had previously escaped in 2007 from Ringling broke free from their enclosure. The animals wandered into traffic lanes before being corralled. (Baltimore Sun). 6/15/07 In Colorado 7 zebras & horses from Ringling escape from their handlers, the animals run onto a road next to the Interstate for 30 minutes. (AP) Feld Entertainment says we put on the, “Greatest Show on Earth” so there is no reason why they can’t entertain the public with People Performers instead of Wild animals that they must abuse and beat to train them to perform. This solution would remedy the inhumane treatment of these Wild animals and the Circus could go on with People Performances. http://www.ringlingbeatsanimals.com/bound-babies.asp

I caught them at HP Pavilion in San Jose and just had a wonderful time. My girls were awestruck with their attention constantly held by the acts, lights and fireworks, and dancing. Asked of their favorite part, the list just went on... the elephants, the dogs, the flowers, the horses, no tigers, the gymnasts...

Only criticisms are the outrageous prices for food and other concessions and the animal rights protesters outside who, though I completely understand where they are coming from, should have a little more sense than to protest so overtly where so many toddlers and children are present.
Also, be careful with the inexpensive tickets. You can get to the circus for around $15 but the view is likely obstructed; we completely missed the trapeze artists and spent 15 minutes entertaining the kids.