As spectators are ushered to their seats within the grand circus tent, they encounter all the iconic elements of the circus, with one notable exception: the absence of live animals, which have been substituted with holograms.

In response to mounting concerns about animal welfare, Germany’s Roncalli circus ceased incorporating lions and elephants into its performances back in 1991.

However, the circus took a more extensive step in 2018 by completely eliminating live animals from its repertoire, France 24 reported.

According to circus director Patrick Philadelphia, aged 49, “It is no longer appropriate for Roncalli to show real animals in the ring.”

In recent years, circuses have encountered increasing limitations with regard to available space.

Circus director Patrick Philadelphia pointed out, “If you’re setting up in the middle of a marketplace in the centre of town, there is no space for outdoor enclosures for animal runs.”

The itinerant nature of circus life also posed challenges for animals like horses, which had to be loaded onto wagons and transported to the next town.

“This no longer made sense for an animal-protecting circus,” said Philadelphia.

As Roncalli sought innovative ways to captivate children with the enchantment of animals, inspiration struck when they witnessed a show featuring Justin Timberlake “collaborating” with a holographic rendition of the late Prince. This encounter sparked the idea of exploring 3-D imagery for animal presentations.

Philadelphia reflected, “If you can project someone who’s no longer living onto a holographic screen, why can’t you do it with an animal, a horse, an elephant? So that’s where the idea came from,”

Written by staff