Live Animals in Germany's Circus Roncalli Replaced With Holograms Due to Welfare Concerns

The popular Germany's Roncalli circus no longer uses live animals in its shows. It has replaced elephants, lions, and horses with holograms.

Holograms Replace Live Animals at Circus Roncalli

All the classic elements of the circus are still present at Germany's Circus Roncalli, except for one - live animals. Holograms have replaced the latter due to animal welfare concerns.

In 1991, the German Circus Roncalli discontinued utilizing lions and elephants in its performances. But in 2018, it took things a step further and cut live animals from the program altogether.

The use of genuine animals in the arena by Roncalli is no longer appropriate, according to 49-year-old circus owner Patrick Philadelphia. Circuses have found their space needs to be increasingly limited during the past few years.

According to Philadelphia, there is no room for exterior fences for animal runs if you are putting them up in the middle of a marketplace in the center of the city.

Horses, who had to be loaded onto wagons and transported to the next town, found the nomadic nature of the circus lifestyle to be taxing. Thus, he added that using live ones was no longer appropriate for an animal protection circus.

A show in which Justin Timberlake "collaborates" with a hologram of the late Prince inspired Roncalli to use 3D imaging to preserve the wonder of animals for youngsters. Philadelphia explained that the sight of Timberlake and Prince prompted them to project animals like horses or elephants onto a holographic screen.

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What Is Animal Welfare?

Animal welfare refers to how an animal is adjusting to its living circumstances. Suppose an animal is healthy, comfortable, well-nourished, safe, able to express natural behavior, and not experiencing unpleasant emotions like pain, fear, or distress. In that case, it is said to be in a good state of well-being, according to scientific research.

Humane handling, management, nutrition, illness prevention, veterinary care, and proper housing are all necessary for good animal well-being. Animal care, animal husbandry, and humane treatment are other phrases that describe how an animal is treated.

In layperson's terms, animal welfare refers to the animal's condition. Caring for an animal's emotional and physical requirements is essential to protecting its welfare.

Being responsible for the well-being of animals means considering all facets of their welfare, including appropriate housing, management, nutrition, disease prevention and treatment, responsible care, compassionate handling, and, when necessary, humane euthanasia.

More and more are now conscious about animal welfare. For instance, the plan to build an octopus farm in Spain's Canary Islands was disapproved by some scientists who claimed that breeding octopuses in captivity, which could involve icy water, would be a "cruel" method.

The experts noted that octopuses are solitary animals, and keeping them in tanks with others would not benefit them. Additionally, they are used to dark environments, and the planned farm reportedly involves housing them under constant light.