One of the most famous parts of the circus will now become a relic of the past. The Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Circus is saying goodbye to its elephant act after more than 100 years.

The Associated Press reports that the circus will phase out the pachyderms by 2018, after years of public pressure from animal rights activists. Groups like PETA and the ASPCA have long called Ringling Bros. out for allegedly abusing the elephants and keeping them in poor conditions. But the circus's parent company, Feld Entertainment, recently won a lengthy legal fight against these groups for unproven claims against them.

Even still, company executives said this outcry hurt their bottom line. The campaign led cities and counties across the U.S. to enact "anti-circus" laws that prevented them from touring without fighting the laws in court. Plus, consumers ended up pitying the elephants during the show.

"There's been somewhat of a mood shift among our consumers," Alana Feld, the company's executive vice president, told the AP. "A lot of people aren't comfortable with us touring with our elephants."

Feld Entertainment will relocate the elephants it employs to its own Center for Elephant Conservation in Florida. One day, execs hope to open the conservation center to the public. In the meantime, the circus will still use other animals, like camels, in its shows.