New York, Jan 12 (EFE).– The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, the world’s oldest, will stop using elephants in its shows next May, though it will continue staging acts with other animals, the circus’s production company, Feld Entertainment, said.

When the cut-off date arrives, at least 42 pachyderms will be taken to the Center for Elephant Conservation in Florida, the company said in a statement.

The decision follows a growing controversy over the past few years about the use of Asian elephants as Ringling Bros. circus performers.

After hearing the news, Ingrid Newkirk, president of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA, called on the circus to put an end to all its animal acts, and said that “because the circus has refused to retire these elephants to an accredited sanctuary, vigilance will be needed to determine how they are treated” at their new home.

Feld Entertainment CEO Kenneth Feld, for his part, said “this decision was not easy, but it is in the best interest of our company, our elephants and our customers.”

He also called this “the most significant change we have made since we founded the Ringling Bros. Center for Elephant Conservation in 1995.”

“When we did so, we knew we would play a critical role in saving the endangered Asian elephants for future generations, given how few Asian elephants are left in the wild,” Feld said. EFE