'The Greatest Show on Earth' to pack up for the last time after 146 years

'This has been a very difficult decision for me and for the entire family.'

The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Baily Circus announced they would be closing up shop for the final time this May after 146 years of bringing magic to families across the country.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Everyone knows the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Baily Circus - it was a household name for entertainment for well over a century.

Phineas Taylor Barnum joined ringmaster James A. Baily to create a circus, which featured an array of exotic animals and human oddities.

As Barnum & Baily Circus got going, five brothers came together to create a variety act.

Soon, the two joined forces to create "The Greatest Show on Earth," which toured the United States by train, bringing their death-defying feats, curious acts and amazing animals from city to city.

Everyone loved when the circus was in town. It was a time of celebration and excitement for decades - but times have changed.

Kenneth Feld, the chairman and CEO of Feld Entertainment told the Associated Press the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Baily Circus will be tearing down its tents for the last time in only five months.

"There isn't any one thing," Feld explained. "This has been a very difficult decision for me and for the entire family."

Feld's father, Irvin Feld, purchased the circus in 1967 and has been in charge of operations since.

Several factors play a role in the circus' shortage of ticket sales. One of the largest points of controversy was, and has been for a while, the treatment of wild animals for use in circus acts.

In fact, there is a 12-minute tiger act in which the animals are treated without cruelty yet many animal activists claim wild animals should be free to live in their native habitat or, if that is not possible, then in an enclosure large enough to give the animals a sense of comfort.

Elephants were already retired from the show, with every elephant relocated to a reserve in central Florida in 2015.

After the elephants retired, ticket sales fell dramatically.

"We know now that one of the major reasons people came to Ringling Bros. was getting to see elephants," Feld Entertainment's chief operating officer, Juliette Feld, explained. "We stand by that decision. We know it was the right decision. This was what audiences wanted to see and it definitely played a major role."

In addition to the loss of the elephants, Kenneth Feld believes kids attention spans just aren't long enough for people to enjoy the acts anymore.

"Try getting a 3 or 4-year-old today to sit for 12 minutes," Feld stated.

On the circus website, Feld wrote: "The circus and its people have continually been a source of inspiration and joy to my family and me, which is why this was such a tough business decision to make. The decision was even more difficult because of the amazing fans that have become part of our extended circus family over the years, and we are extremely grateful to the millions of families who have made Ringling Bros. part of their lives for generations.

"We know Ringing Bros. isn't only our family business, but also your family tradition....We learned from the circus, and applied those learnings to our other productions. Without Ringling Bros., we wouldn't have the vibrant life entertainment company that we have today. Ringling Bros. will always be part of Feld Entertainment, and its spirit will live on in every production and project we do."

The touring circuses will be performing 30 more shows until its final two in May.

The tours will be in Atlanta, Washington, Philadelphia, Boston and Brooklyn. The final two shows will take place in Providence, Rhode Island on May 7 and at the Nassau County Coliseum May 21.

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