In response, the U.S. Department of Agriculture charged the circus with violations of the Animal Welfare Act. These charges were later dropped when the circus donated $20,000 to elephant conservation.

At one point in American history, the circus didn’t just come to town—it rumbled in like a thunderstorm on steel wheels. These mile-long trains carried everything: elephants, big tops, lion ...

Due to concerns over animal welfare, Germany's Roncalli circus stopped using lions and elephants in its shows in 1991. But it went further in 2018 and completely removed live animals from its ...