It calls itself “The Greatest Show On Earth,” but as of May, the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus will be no more.

The company that owns the famed travelling Big Top announced to employees after performances Saturday night in Orlando and Miami that it’s closing for good in May.

It says declining attendance, changing public tastes and high operating costs all played a role in the decision to shut down after a 146-year run, and so did continued battles with animal rights groups.

PETA calls it a sign of the changing times, and in a statement, is urging other circuses to do the same.

Kenneth Feld, the C-E-O of Feld Entertainment which owns the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus, says all of its animals, from lions to tigers to donkeys are all going to suitable homes.

Last year it retired all of its elephants to an animal sanctuary in Florida.

The circus will present its final performances in May in Providence, Rhode Island and Uniondale, New York.