The elephants put on their final show Sunday night
The goodbye comes early for the beloved elephants, who were initially slated to retire by 2018.
It also closes a controversial chapter for Ringling: Animal rights groups frequently criticize the company for its treatment of animals, and PETA is insistent that removing the elephants from the shows isnt enough.
On Sunday, activists showed up for a final elephant protest, urging the company to end all of its animal acts.
In 2011, the U.S. Department of Agriculture penalized Ringling owners Feld Entertainment for allegedly violating the Animal Welfare Act.
Feld did not admit wrongdoing, but theydid pay the $270,000 penaltyand promised to implement new training for all personnel who handle animals.
The push to remove animals from the circus shows comes on the heels of several calls to end animal captivity.
In March,SeaWorld announcedthey would stop breeding killer whales and end all orca shows by the end of the decade, though the remaining animals would spend the rest of their lives in captivity.
Ringling has not revealed any plans to stop other performances starring animals, including tigers, lions, horses, dogs, and camels.
The elephants will now live on the conservations 200-acre preserve, where they will take part in innovative cancer research.
