Boxed Animal Crackers Uncaged After 116 Years

The animals on Nabisco's red boxed animal crackers have been set free after 116 years.

With so much activism pushed to get rid of circuses and let animals roam freely, it never really occurred to me that the animals on Nabisco's red boxes were still caged. 

That is...until now. 

After 116 years, Nabisco has uncaged the animals on the packaging of Barnum's Animals, USA TODAY reports. Instead of being in a cage, the zebra, elephant, lion, giraffe, and gorilla are free to roam in the grass. 

The caged animal crackers image has been an issue since 2016 when PETA pointed out the cruel practices of circuses, many of which are known for beating, shocking, chaining, and whipping animals to get them to perform tricks. 

A spokesperson for Monadelez, Nabisco's parent company, said they're always looking to keep their products modern. The packaging has reportedly been refreshed before and they have even teamed up with World Wildlife Fund for an awareness campaign, but this is the first time the animals are cage-free. 

The new uncaged animal crackers in those red boxes are on shelves now. 

Photo: Getty Images/Garrett Aitken