The Local Germany

Stranded German circus faces uncertain future due to coronavirus restrictions

Fri, 08 May 2020 11:29:15 +0200

On a normal Thursday afternoon, Josef Traenkler would be pulling on his clown costume, sharpening his knives or grooming his horses for a performance.

VIDEO: Escaped elephant seen wandering streets of small German town

Thu, 07 Jun 2018 14:26:22 +0200

On Wednesday, alarmed onlookers informed police in the town of Neuwied, Rhineland-Palatinate, that an elephant was wandering the streets of the Heddesdorf neighbourhood.

How a family in Germany are raising an abandoned baby tiger

Wed, 11 Jan 2017 17:57:27 +0100

A small tiger makes for a hustle and bustle in Northern Germany: born four months ago and rejected by her mother, the cat was raised on a bottle. Now, Elsa the tiger has learnt to play, run and "hunt".

Ostrich hit by car after activists 'free' it from circus

Wed, 20 Apr 2016 16:27:16 +0200

An ostrich at a circus in Munich was hit by a car and died shortly after animal rights activists opened its cage.

Germany’s last travelling circus bear seized by police

Mon, 14 Mar 2016 18:42:59 +0100

There were hectic scenes in eastern Bavaria on Monday, as the circus which owns Germany's last travelling bear tried to hide the animal from police - but to no avail.

'Killer elephant' prompts call for wild animal ban

Wed, 17 Jun 2015 11:22:08 +0200

Hesse environment minister Priska Hinz said on Tuesday that the state would ban circuses from keeping wild animals and push for a nationwide stop to the practice, after an escaped elephant killed a pensioner on Saturday.

Circus owner: activists freed killer elephant

Mon, 15 Jun 2015 17:43:33 +0200

A circus owner alleged on Monday that animal rights activists had tampered with the junction box supplying power to the cage holding an elephant that trampled a pensioner to death on Saturday.

Camels' bid for freedom causes traffic chaos

Fri, 16 Jan 2015 13:04:31 +0100

Eight camels escaped from a travelling circus and had an adventure in northern Bavaria on Thursday evening, causing a minor accident and several traffic jams.

Newborn white lion cubs are pride of the circus

Fri, 22 Aug 2014 13:29:00 +0200

Four white lions born into the Krone Circus during its stop in Magdeburg yesterday find themselves in a Germany reliving a decades-old fight over exotic animals displayed for profit.

Jedi the hippo fails to use the force - and returns to the circus

Fri, 14 Oct 2011 19:01:00 +0200

Police in Germany foiled the plans of Jedi the hippo who tried to flee a circus visiting the northern city of Schwerin this week.

When the Maharaja came to town

Fri, 15 Jan 2010 15:17:00 +0100

Seeking an exotic respite from Germany’s dreary winter, Rhea Wessel takes a subcontinental sojourn with an Indian circus.

Circus trainer returns to ring after tiger attack

Mon, 11 Jan 2010 15:01:00 +0100

The circus showman nearly killed by tigers during a Hamburg dinner performance in December re-entered the ring over the weekend, daily Augsburger Allgemeine reported on Monday.

Injured tiger-tamer recovering well

Sun, 03 Jan 2010 15:50:00 +0100

The circus-showman who was seriously injured by a tiger during a show in Hamburg last month is on the road to recovery, his father said Sunday.

Another tiger attack as woman mauled at zoo

Sat, 19 Dec 2009 19:48:00 +0100

A woman zoo keeper was left seriously injured on Saturday after being mauled by a tiger in a Saxony-Anhalt animal park.

Thief accidentally steals circus lion

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:44:00 +0100

A truck thief unintentionally stole a circus lion in Wuppertal before crashing the vehicle and fleeing the scene, police in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia told The Local on Wednesday.

Swiss daredevil to walk Zugspitze cable line

Fri, 28 Aug 2009 12:31:00 +0200

Swiss extreme tightrope artist Freddy Nock will walk a cable car line up to the peak of the Zugspitze, Germany’s highest mountain, in an attempt to break a world record this Saturday.

Pack of circus animals freed from burning transporter

Tue, 25 Aug 2009 10:05:00 +0200

Police and fire fighters freed a group of circus animals from a burning transporter near the town of Ribnitz-Damgarten in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania early on Tuesday morning.

Police patrol called to check penguins' papers

Sun, 02 Aug 2009 14:30:00 +0200

Holidaymakers by a lake in Bavaria called the police when they saw a man swimming and splashing around in the water with two penguins.

Six circus tigers saved from burning trailer

Mon, 27 Oct 2008 12:39:00 +0100

Six Siberian tigers were saved from a circus trailer that caught fire on the B73 county road near Stade, police in the German state of Lower Saxony reported on Monday.

Collapse of circus stand near Düsseldorf injures 16

Sun, 26 Oct 2008 15:54:00 +0100

A collapsing circus stand in a town near Düsseldorf has injured 16 people, four of them children, police said.