Officials at Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus announced earlier this month (Mar15) that they would be ending acts that include jumbos in the next three years and sending all their elephants to a sanctuary - and PETA chiefs want director Burton to reflect that in his upcoming Disney remake.

PETA vice-president Lisa Lange has sent the filmmaker a letter, asking him to give Dumbo a happy ending.

She writes, "We're hopeful that in your adaptation of Dumbo, the young elephant and his mother can have a truly happy ending by living out their lives at a sanctuary instead of continuing to be imprisoned and abused in the entertainment industry."

Lange has also praised Burton for choosing to use computer technology to bring his elephants to life - and not real creatures.

She adds, "If Alice in Wonderland, Frankenweenie and Corpse Bride are any indication, the artistry of the computer-generated imagery in this remake is in good hands."