The use of performing animals in circuses and aquariums is controversial. Could realistic, animatronic creatures offer a way to ignite people’s interest in the natural world instead?
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This year, in March, I jumped into a heated pool in California to meet a dolphin named Delle. As I approached her, I was captivated by the smooth movements of the powerful, 250kg body gliding through the water. After swimming a few laps, Delle turned towards me and became playful, greeting me by splashing me with her beak. Delighted, I reached out to stroke her shiny skin. It felt rubbery, which, along with the thin cable snaking along the bottom of the pool, was the main giveaway that Delle the dolphin was a robot.
Delle, a hyper-realistic animatronic dolphin, was created with the goal of replacing real dolphins in aquariums and marine amusement parks. While some might lament the showcasing of replicas instead of live creatures, the idea has merit.
Captive animals have long been a source of human entertainment. We’ve kept lions in cages for thousands of years, enraptured medieval towns with travelling circuses, and opened the first modern zoo in Paris in 1793. More recently, animals became both props and protagonists on the silver screen. In fact, the company behind Delle the Dolphin, named Edge Innovations, was a big player in the world of special effects, creating mock sea animals for Hollywood films like Star Trek, Free Willy, and The Perfect Storm. One of the benefits, aside from adding to filmmakers’ entertainment tools, is that it’s easy to assure viewers that ‘no animals were harmed’.
Just as fake animals are becoming deceptively realistic, it’s becoming increasingly less acceptable to use live animals for entertainment purposes. Documentaries like Blackfish (2013) and The Cove (2009) have exposed some of the horrific treatment and suffering of ocean mammals. The resulting public outcry has rendered marine parks controversial, attracting more protesters and less visitors. It’s not just aquatic animals: countries around the world have begun to ban circus animals. The iconic Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus featured performing elephants, tigers, and other attractions for over a century before animal cruelty protests drove them out of business in 2017. They recently announced a comeback – without the live animals.
And yet, arguably, entertaining people with captive animals is vital for animal conservation. Many zoos and aquariums actively try to promote conservation efforts by providing educational experiences and encouraging int
