Two tigers and 9 other animals of the Globus Circus in Bucharest die in conflagration

A fire at an animal shelter hosting animals belonging to Globus Circus (photo) has killed 11 animals and damaged about 300 square meters of the building. Four cats, two Vietnamese pigs, two tigers and three dogs have died, according to fire-fighters, quoted by Agerpres. The fire was extinguished after the intervention of 15 fire trucks.

The fire-fighters managed to save seven tigers, six camels, ponies and steers, a horse, a kangaroo and several greyhounds and goats, the Emergency Inspectorate (ISU) informs.

The manager of Globus Circus in Bucharest, Victor Coman, has told News.ro that in the stable on Petricani road were housed retired circus animals, and that among those killed by the fire were some animals in the property of a Ukrainian trainer. In addition, he said that in the building were not stored feed and that for now, the cause of the conflagration is not known.

Contacted by HotNews.ro, Marin Adrian, ISU Bucharest spokesman, said the causes are not known, an investigation will be conducted.

The circus manager explained that the building was an old one located on Petricani Avenue and has been managed by the circus since 2011. The building, whose roof has been repaired last summer, sheltered retired circus animals.

“Unfortunately, we inherited many animals retired from activity. There were also five Siberian tigers tamed by Stefan Plesoianu”, the circus manager said.

He added that part of the animals have been already relocated to other zoos in the country. “We gave a white male camel, two lions and two tigers to the Zoo in Brasov last year, and we were to find more people eager to take these animals and find a shelter for them,” Coman stated, adding that the three tigers that survived would be temporarily relocated to the Zoo in Bucharest.

Petition asking for the ban of animal use in circus shows

Romanian NGOs on Thursday asked for the ban against using animals in circus show after a fire killed 11 animals in a building belonging to the Globus Circus in Bucharest. At the same time, 8,600 people signed a petition asking for a ban against exploiting wild animals in circus.

In Romania, a draft law initiated by environmental activist Remus Cernea in 2015 banning animals in circus was vetoed by the Senate, Romania’s upper chamber. However local authorities of two districts in Bucharest have forbidden circus shows featuring wild animal training.

At present, 21 countries in the world have totally or partially banned wild animals being used in circus shows, with 14 of them in Europe.

Csibi Magor, the initiator of the petition, argued that there are only 3,800 tigers at large in the world and despite this, people keep on holding them in captivity.

Vier Pfoten association announced after the fire on Globus Circus building that it hopes the Circus in Bucharest would not buy any other animals to replace those that died in the conflagration this morning.