The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, which shut down in 2017 after a 146-year run of entertainment around the world, could be making a comeback, the Herald-Tribune reports. Officials from Ellenton-based Feld Entertainment, which owns the circus operation, said during a recent panel discussion for venue operators that a new version of the circus without animals is expected to make its debut in 2023. Many observers believe that animal rights protests targeting Ringling Bros. contributed to a decline in ticket sales that led the company to cease operations. Nicole Zimmerman, a Feld spokeswoman, said the company is QUOTE “still in the planning phase for the relaunch of the Greatest Show on Earth” UNQUOTE and an official announcement about the return of the circus is expected sometime in 2022.