Bob Barker: Ringling Brothers Move Only A Step In The Right Direction; What Happens Next?

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — Some former circus elephants have found a new home at the Performing Animal Welfare Society in San Andreas.

Former 'Price Is Right' host Bob Barker donated nearly $1 million to help bring the elephants to the PAWS sanctuary.

Bob, do you think this might open the door for Ringling Brothers to stop using other animals in their act? For example, lions?

Well, we can certainly hope so—lions, tigers, chimps, the whole thing. I really was joyful when I heard about this, but I feel that it is only a step in the right direction, and certain things concern me. Why wait until 2018? Why don't we do it tomorrow?

Secondly, it concerns me that in the release they say initially the elephants will be in this so-called ranch-like area. Initially the center will be open only to researchers, scientists and others studying the Asian elephant.

But in the next sentence, they say eventually they hope to expand it into something the public will be able to see. Well the moment they expand this so the public can see it, they're going to have tickets for sale. And when they have tickets for sale, they're going to have the elephants performing. And when they have the elephants performing, we all know how they make them perform. Some of the methods used as I understand it are electric prods, bullhooks, beating them with baseball bats, two-by-fours, even sledgehammers. And if it's just a stationary circus rather than really letting these elephants living the life somewhat like nature intended, well this isn't as good a thing as it sounds.

Do you think this would have ever happened without the pressure from animal-rights groups?

Absolutely not. They say it's the audiences that are changing. Of course the audiences are changing because there are millions of us making the people aware of the horrors of the circus.

Many of our viewers would like to know how have you been, and what do you spend your time doing these days.

Well I work out every day. I'm careful about my nutrition. I think that nutrition and exercise are as important as anytime, but when you get into your 90s, it's more important than ever, I think. I've kept busy doing exactly what I'm doing now, working for animals of all types in all kinds of places. I am a complete success at retirement. I think it's because I did it at just the right time—not too soon, not too late.