FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Four years after the “Greatest
Show On Earth” shut down, officials are planning to bring back
the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus — without animal
acts.

An announcement is expected sometime next year, according to
Nicole Zimmerman, a spokesperson for Feld Entertainment Inc.
of Ellenton, Florida.

The three-ring circus shut down in May 2017 after a 146-year run.

Costly court battles with animal rights activists led circus officials
to end elephant acts in 2016. Without the elephants, ticket sales
declined. Officials also blamed increased railroad costs, and the
rise of online games and videos, which made the “Greatest Show
On Earth” not seem that great anymore.