seven venues

It has long signaled the arrival of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus – a parade of elephants and other animals strolling from the Norfolk Southern rail yards to Scope.
But Tuesday afternoon, after the circus cars arrived, handlers loaded the animals into trucks that carried them to the downtown arena, where the circus opens today.
A circus spokeswoman cited unspecified reasons for not walking the animals. Concern about the route, which took the animals along Redgate Avenue and Olney Road was a factor, said Crystal Drake, a regional spokeswoman for Feld Entertainment, Ringling’s parent company. She insisted that the decision had nothing to do with coming to the backyard of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, based in Norfolk, which traditionally greets the circus with demonstrations.
Trucks slipped out and past roughly 25 PETA protesters who waited outside Norfolk Southern’s gate Tuesday evening. Some held signs that read “Ringling beats animals.” PETA’s Matt Rice said PETA also protests in other cities . “I think they’re more worried about what we’ll see, about what we’ll catch on video,” he said at the group’s Brambleton Avenue headquarters. He contended the move was an example of secrecy by the circus. Drake said the circus has nothing to hide. “The vitality of the animals that you see speaks to their health and their comfort in our care,” she said. Tuesday afternoon, several mothers gathered with their young children outside the rail yard, hoping to see the animals. Mary Carter had brought along her toddler. “I think it’s really sad,” she said. “I think it’s been a joy for kids who live in the area.”  The walk is not over for good, Drake said. “We may very well do the animal walk again next year,” she said.  “This certainly doesn’t signal the end of the animal walk in Norfolk.”