In the past, circuses were shows where animals were often forced to perform dangerous tricks. But as more people started caring about the safety and happiness of animals, a circus in Germany made a big change. By 2018, the Roncalli Circus stopped using all live animals in their shows.
“It is no longer appropriate for Roncalli to show real animals in the ring,” said circus boss Patrick Philadelphia.
Animals staying with a circus live hard lives because they have to travel in cages to perform. It is especially tough for animals like horses to travel in wagons all the time. It has also become harder for operators to find enough space to set up their tents and equipment.
Recently, the circus decided to use holograms of animals in their shows. Holograms seem like magical, 3D pictures, but you cannot touch them (see graphic).
The circus uses 11 cameras to project high-resolution images onto a fine mesh net around the stage. When the lights go down, the net disappears, and the images pop out.
Sophie, who is 29 years old, said she went to Roncalli after she found out that it did not use any animals. In the past, she had bad experiences seeing animals mistreated in other circuses.
“I always saw the narrow cages where they [the animals] were all kept. That is … animal cruelty,” she said, adding that she was amazed by the new show with the holograms.
Sample answers
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Quick question: The circus stopped using animals because it was cruel and harmful for them.
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Think about it: You cannot touch a hologram. It is just an illusion that our eyes see.
