The parent company of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, Feld Entertainment, told the Associated Press that they will be phasing out their elephant acts by 2018 due to "growing public concern about how the animals are treated."

Today in the story of my nightmares, an incident at the Barnum and Bailey Circus performance in Rhode Island, sent 11 people to the hospital. The incident occurred right before intermission during a "hair hang" aerial act, in which the performers hung 30 feet in the air by their hair. A platform collapsed, eight…

Although vodka's metaphorically saved my life many a time, Ruski firewater literally rescued two Indian circus elephants from frostbite after the truck in which they were being transported caught fire. Stranded on a highway in freezing Siberia, Russia, the handlers did the only thing they could think of, which was…

[Monaco, January 25: Members of the Chinese troupe Dalian perform during the awards ceremony of the 35th Monte-Carlo International Circus Festival. Image via AP.]

[Havana, August 10. U.S trapeze artists of the "Rose" duo Samuel Sion, left, and Sylvia Friedman perform at the Circuba Festival in Havana. The Circuba Festival 2010 is held in Havana Aug.10-15. Image via AP]

[Islamabad, July 20. A couple shares a moment as they watch circus performers from the Jan Baz troupe during a performance. Image via Getty]

[London, June 30. Grace Woodward attends the press launch for the new season of Britain's Next Top Model at Circus]

[Beijing; June 28, 1996. Image via AP]

[Melbourne, June 11. Image via Getty]

[New York, March 25. Image via Getty]

[Marseille, January 24. Image via Getty]

[Monaco, January 14. Image via Getty]

[Sydney, December 30. Image via Getty.]

[Sydney, December 30. Image via Getty.]

[London, December 16. Image via Getty]

[Melbourne, December 9. Image via Getty]

[Melbourne, December 2. Image via Getty]

How do you know an animal is depressed? The elephant Susi (pictured), has lived in the Barcelona Zoo for years. Lately? She's "apathetic, her trunk hangs on the ground and she's eating her own excrement."