When you think of the circus what comes to mind? Clowns? Acrobatics? Popcorn? Animals?
A circus in Germany recently made the decision to get rid of something that has become synonymous with the circus: animals. But there’s a catch.
They’ve replaced all their trained animals with holograms of animals to ensure that they are a cruelty-free environment.
Circus Roncalli has been dazzling audiences in Germany since 1976, but at the end of 2017 they made a big decision. They announced they were going to switch up an often controversial part of the show.
The circus decided to stop using trained animals.
Markus Strobl, media director of the Circus Roncalli, said the decision was based on the animals’ welfare. Plus, the circus found it difficult to house animals when it toured through large cities.
Now, Circus Roncalli stuns its crowds with larger-than-life 3D holograms and projections of elephants, fish, horses, and other animals.
The loss of trained animal acts hasn’t hurt the circus, in fact German TV anchor Max Schautzer said he thought it helped revitalize the circus.
“Unfortunately, the ‘old’ circus has gotten a bit dusty, but this is how the circus can remain alive,” he said.
If you can’t make it to Germany to see these “animals” in action, check out the video below:
Animals that are forced to participate in circus acts are rarely, if ever, treated kindly. There are several countries and at least two states, New Jersey and Hawaii, that have already banned wild animal circus acts.
But more countries and states need to join this list!
Share this article if you want more circuses to follow in Circus Roncalli’s footsteps and use 3D holograms of animals.
