This old form of entertainment limping across the finish line wasn’t really surprising. Circuses such as it work just fine on TV and a live audience would be too busy looking at its phone to really care.
I did get to see this act twice as a kid. The first time I was really little and I recall we left early because I was very vocal in my concerns for the tightrope performers falling off the rope or something. Then we went again in grade school via some constant politicking I did on my parents who were not keen on this. Can’t remember what my brother’s stance was. I prevailed, mom managed to get tickets via another family that went every year and decided to give it a break.
As for the animal rights schmucks getting a hard on for their “success,” I say whatever, you just keep telling yourselves it was your lawsuits and not the public’s general apathy over a 19th century entertainment form. I agree on animals not being tortured for public display yet your dead wrong on “testing,” which puts them on par with vaccine deniers.
Anyway, farewell “Greatest Show on Earth.” Over a century is a pretty good run.