A shopping centre has reassured visitors after concerns were raised over the welfare of an 'elephant' featured at its circus event.
Kingfisher Redditch issued a statement on social media after members of the public raised concerns about Jumbo the Elephant at its free circus event.
The centre has confirmed that although it is lifelike, the elephant is a giant puppet and no real animals were involved.
A spokesman for Kingfisher Redditch said: "We're happy to confirm that, although incredibly lifelike, Jumbo is actually a giant puppet with animatronic features, brought to life by an amazingly talented team as part of our Kingfisher Circus."
The centre reassured visitors that no real animals were involved or harmed in the event, which is running throughout the summer holidays.
The Kingfisher Circus includes free family entertainment every Wednesday and Saturday from 11am to 4pm.
Self-serve circus games are also available on alternate days.
The spokesperson for the shopping centre said: "We've been blown away by all the lovely comments following yesterday's launch of our FREE Kingfisher Circus.
"It was fantastic to see so many families enjoying the visit from Jumbo."
The centre added: "If you were still absolutely convinced Jumbo was real, Specsavers currently have a 2 for 1 glasses offer starting from £70 with designer frames from £100."
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