article: After Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus announced that it will no longer have elephants in the show starting in 2018, the organization gave a rare tour of the facility where the elephants will retire. Once the animals are done in the ring, they'll be taken to the Ringling Brothers Elephant Conservation Center in an undisclosed, 200-acre area of Polk County in central Florida. Some of the Asian Elephants will live out their post-performance lives in the center, while other will be used for breeding. Scroll down for video . All elephants will be phased out of the Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus performance by 2018 . Once they retire from performing, elephants will be taken to the Ringling Brothers Elephant Conservation Center in an undisclosed, 200-acre area of Polk County in central Florida . Ringling spokeswoman Melinda Hartline told FOX Tampa Bay that the center is 'all about preserving the Asian Elephant'. Elephants born in the center can be sold to zoos or other breeding programs. This will hopefully increase genetic diversity in the species and increase its population. The population of animal has decreased to between 25,000 and 32,000 from it's 100,000 population over the last century. Poaching and habitat destruction are among the reasons for the decline. Twenty people work at the center to feed, care for and manage the animals, and over the next three years Ringling will determine if more staff or additional facilities are needed. Despite having what seems to be ideal living conditions, Ringling ties some elephants by the leg overnight, something animal rights groups, including People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) are disappointed by. Some elephants will live out the rest of their lives in the conservation center, while others will be use for breeding . A spokesman for the center said that the organization's goal is to conserve the Asian Elephant, an animal who has seen massive population decline over the last century . Much of the population decline - which has gone down from 100,000 to between 25,000 and 32,000 - has been caused by poaching and habitat destruction . 'Zoos don't chain elephants and the American Veterinary Medical Association advises against it' Delciana Windners, PETA general counsel, told FOX. The animal-rights organizations also urge the company to take the animals off the road sooner. Just days before announcing that the elephants would be taken out of the ring, PETA prevailed in an open-records request and obtained documents proving that, at least since 2010, Ringling has had elephants test positive for the human strain of tuberculosis. TB is highly transmissible from elephants to humans, even without direct contact. A statement from PETA frames Ringling’s announcement as a preemptive move to keep the public in the dark about the health risk posed by moving sick elephants to cities throughout the country. 'These elephants suffer greatly, but now their retirement is vital to everyone’s safety,' the statement read. Animal rights groups, including PETA, have said that Ringling Brothers should take elephants out of their shows before 2018 . PETA released information earlier this year stating that at least since 2010, Ringling has had elephants test positive for the human strain of tuberculosis .
highlights: Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus announced that it will no longer have elephants in the show starting in 2018 .
  The elephants will be taken to the Ringling Brothers Elephant Conservation Center in central Florida .
  Some will live their lives out there while others will be used for breeding .
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