German Circus Swaps Real Animals with Hologram for Cruelty-free Show

Animal abuse has been going on for several decades now, either for the sake of entertainment or due to sheer negligence.

Yes, you read it right. Entertainment is also one major reason behind it. And the best live example of this is Circus. Yes, wild animals there have been treated abysmally for too long for the acts. And it doesn't end here because they are also kept in terrifying conditions only for making them perform in circuses.

But then the question arises- Is animal cruelty acceptable if it is for the sake of entertainment? Not at all!

However, people are changing now. Hence things are starting to change for the better. Living by the motto that no animals are harmed, one German circus has phased out its use of wild animals completely, in favor of holograms.

Well, here we are talking about Circus Roncalli.

Circus Roncalli: The World’s First Holographic Circus

Founded in 1976, the Circus Roncalli uses 3D holographic images to fill the whole arena, which is 5 meters (16ft) deep and 32 meters (105ft) wide.

Around 11 different ZU850 laser projectors produce such clever special effects there, and the whole audience can see horses, elephants, and even a goldfish.

Well, the circus first started out using real animals but slowly phased them out, and then replaced them with the futuristic technology instead. Reports suggest that Bernhard Paul, Founder of the circus, invested more than £400,000 to perfect the light show.

By taking this step, the circus also became the world’s first holographic circus show for having stopped the use of wild animals in the 1990’s – decades before others began to take similar measures.

According to The Dodo, a German newspaper, the German circus took to using only domestic horses in its shows. And, now they decided to stop using animals altogether, i.e., both wild as well as domestic.

While speaking to the publications earlier this year, Markus Strobl, the Media Director of the circus, spoke about their decision to convert to holographic performances.

Markus explained,

“Most of the numbers in the show would already be done by the artists and clowns today anyway.
The focus of the Circus Roncalli is on poetic and acrobatic numbers.”

Well, giving the impression of larger than life animals taking center stage in the ring, the holograms have a mesmerizing effect.

For such magical holographic experience, Roncalli’s agency TAG/TRAUM is working in cooperation with Bluebox partnered with Optoma.

About this, Birger Wunderlich said,

“We have been using Optoma projectors for 6 years and have consistently had a very positive experience in price, performance, and reliability. We needed a high contrast projector with great colors for the 3D effect and the ZU850’s 2,000,000:1 contrast is perfect for this project.”

Yes, so now a wide range of holographic animals from around the world, including elephants and even fish exist alongside trapeze artists and clowns on the platform.

While the projected elephants wave their trunks at the crowd and stand on their hind legs, bright orange fish later swim the length of the arena.

In an interview, moderator of the show Katja Burkard told to a local media house-

“I find the hologram very contemporary – especially the fact there are no animals involved is very good.”

Look at Some Pictures from the Circus Here:

The ‘Future’ of Circus

Many governments are passing full bans on the use of animals,  with the public’s increased knowledge of the animal cruelties behind circus life. It clearly shows that these holographic shows are the circus of the future.

While discussing with The Dodo, Jan Creamer, the President of Animal Defenders International, told that circuses like this one are ‘the future.’ He said,

Creamer explained,

“Thankfully the public is voting with their feet, and increasingly visiting shows where the performers get to choose instead of being forced to perform.
This is the future of circus — a performance everyone can enjoy and for which intelligent, sentient beings are not used and depicted as objects of entertainment.”

This news of using hologram instead of living animals came just one month after a law was announced in England that suggests the ban of circuses from using wild animals in their acts for good.

The Bill concerning Wild Animals in Circuses will ensure that circus operators in England will no longer be able to use wild animals as part of a traveling circus. The government says that this has ‘no place in modern society.’

However, right now, this ban only applies to the use of wild animals in the show. And, officials will regularly inspect other domestic animals such as donkeys, horses, as well as dogs.

Look, What People Have to Say about the Step

Also, Watch the Holograms in Action Here

The struggle to save animals from circuses and captivity has been going on for a while now with several activists. Needless to say that this is one great way to spread the message and conserve our wildlife.

Way to go, Circus Roncalli!