Victory! Jordan World Circus Drops Elephant Acts Following Hard-Hitting PETA Campaign

For Immediate Release:
April 30, 2026

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Following months of mounting pressure from PETA and widespread public backlash against forcing wild animals to perform under threat of violence, PETA confirmed today that the Jordan World Circus has dropped elephants from its shows, effective immediately. The move has prompted PETA to suspend its campaign against the circus’s elephant acts, which has included dozens of protests at tour stops across the country, over 600,000 emails from PETA members and supporters, and complaints filed with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Photos of some of PETA’s actions against Jordan World Circus are available here.

In March, PETA released a report from a leading elephant expert that documented painful foot and joint conditions suffered by Viola—called “The Most Desperate Elephant in the World” for her multiple escape attempts—who has been forced to perform in the Jordan World Circus for years. Viola was taken from her home and family in Asia as a baby and has spent five decades in chains under the notorious Carson & Barnes Circus—which has supplied elephants to the Jordan World Circus—and has been forced to perform grueling and painful tricks in shows, despite her ailments and advanced age. PETA has documented that elephants used in circuses are typically hauled across the country for most of the year, denied adequate veterinary care, and are controlled through violent training methods involving sharp, steel-tipped weapons called bullhooks.

“Jordan World Circus has heard the message loud and clear that kind people don’t want to see elderly elephants hit with sharp metal bullhooks and threatened into performing tricks,” says PETA President Tracy Reiman. “This is a great step forward, and PETA will continue pushing for these elephants to be released to reputable sanctuaries where they’ll never be chained or beaten again.”

While welcoming Jordan World Circus’s shift away from elephant acts, PETA encourages everyone to call on Carson & Barnes Circus to send Viola and the other elephants to accredited sanctuaries where they could finally receive proper care and live out their remaining years in peace.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to use for entertainment or abuse in any other way”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.