The Lennon Bros Circus, which features lions, monkeys and camels, has rolled into a northern New South Wales city where animal circuses have been banned.

The Lismore City Council passed a motion in 2009 banning circuses that used exotic animals, but the order could only be applied to council-owned land.

The Lennon Bros Circus is being staged at the Lismore Showground, which is privately owned.

Showground trust president John Gibson said the event was legal and brought much-needed revenue to the organisation.

"Circuses are not banned in New South Wales," he said.

"In every community, there are all sorts of ideas and people have got various views on things that happen.

"Until the New South Wales Government does something about it, we're a trust and we've got to try to keep the thing afloat for all people in Lismore, not just the animal rights people.

"Without people coming and participating at the grounds, we'd go broke."

Activists and animal handlers have their say

Protesters gathered outside the Lismore Showground when the Lennon Bros Circus set up. ( ABC North Coast: Samantha Turnbull )

About 20 animal rights activists staged a protest at the showground on the first night of the circus's five-day stay in Lismore.

Organiser Kashina Crabbe said word spread among Lismore's vegan community when the circus first began advertising in the city.

"Circuses can't really provide adequate care for animals, especially exotic animals," Ms Crabbe said.

"We want to push the industry into not using animals to get people to go to the circus."

Circus manager Jay Lennon said the three lions, rhesus macaque monkeys, camels and ponies in their care were well looked after.

"We have a full-time animal groomer with the show," he said.

"And if they're sick, we have a specialist vet that flies into wherever we are."

Animal handler Rod Levy has worked with the circus for 10 years and said he loved the animals "like his own children".

He said they were never on the road for more than three hours at a time, and the animals were the first ones off the trucks when they arrived at their destinations.

"The animal yards and shelters go up before we hook up our power or tend to ourselves," he said.

"The animals come first, everything else is second to the animals.

"I'm with them from five o'clock in the morning until 10 o'clock at night … I just love them, it's a bond."

Lennon Bros Circus animal handler Rod Levy with one of the circus's lions. ( ABC North Coast: Samantha Turnbull )

Mr Lennon said the 121-year-old circus toured around Australia all year round, but rarely encountered protesters.

He said Lismore had developed a reputation for its activism.

"We've found Lismore is very … let's say there are a lot of vegan groups and animal care places around," Mr Lennon said.

"It's unfortunate they won't come and contact us and talk to us about our animal treatment.

"I'd invite them around to have a look and to see how we care for them and maintain everything."

Mr Lennon said even if it were illegal to keep exotic animals, the circus's lions would not survive in the wild.

"They're born and bred into captivity in Australia, it's the same as a zoo," he said.

"You can't just take these animals and set them free; they don't know how to hunt they don't know how to kill.

"They can't look after themselves because it's been done for them their whole lives; it was the same with their parents and their parents before them.

"The circus hasn't brought in a wild animal from overseas for more than 50 years."

Lennon Bros Circus manager Jay Lennon was born into the circus life. ( ABC North Coast: Samantha Turnbull )

The Lennon Bros and Stardust circuses are the only remaining circuses in Australia that feature exotic animals.

Mr Lennon said they were sister organisations that worked together to breed their animals.

He said he saw their work as important to the survival of several species.

"One day that's all you're going to see — lions in a zoo or circus — look what's happening in Africa with people shooting them," Mr Lennon said.

"We want animals to live a long and healthy life.

"Our lions are 14 years old; in the wild they'd be dead.

"I'm so passionate about the animals, they're important to society … cats and dogs weren't domestic to start, and it's the same with the lions — they're our pets."