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It was an elephantastic time yesterday as the circus came to Brooklyn.
Eight Asian elephants with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus stomped on watermelons and other fruit before lifting the pieces with their tusks and enjoying their midday snacks at the edge of Old Fulton Street near the Brooklyn Bridge in DUMBO.
The jumbo performers had just paraded along cobblestoned Water Street with other circus stars to celebrate “The Greatest Show on Earth” at Barclays Center, which kicked off hours later.
“I have been waiting for this moment for 10 years!” Barclays Center developer Bruce Ratner yelled to the crowd of bystanders that gathered, referring to the time it took to get the arena built.
Officials from Feld Entertainment, which runs the circus, boasted that the shows — running through April 1 — are Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey’s first “in the heart of Brooklyn” since the 1930s.
Brooklyn’s own ringmaster, Borough President Marty Markowitz, issued a proclamation honoring the circus.
“Brooklyn’s children and their families will be able to make unforgettable memories,” he said.