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German flea circus hit by freeze | German flea circus hit by freeze |
(about 9 hours later) | |
A flea circus in Germany has been scrambling to replace its performers after the entire troupe was wiped out by this spring's freezing weather. | |
Circus director Robert Birk told the BBC he found some 300 fleas dead inside their transport box last week. | |
It was the first time the cold had killed a whole troupe in one go. | It was the first time the cold had killed a whole troupe in one go. |
A university insect expert, Professor Heinz Mehlhorn, managed to provide 60 replacement fleas in time for a performance at an open-air fair. | |
Mr Birk said it had been a "very difficult moment" when he discovered that the tiny circus stars had died. | |
"It's hard to know when minus temperatures will be fatal for them," he told the BBC. | |
"But the show must go on." | |
Training began immediately for the new recruits. "I worked solidly for two days," Mr Birk earlier told the Online Focus website, noting that the replacement team lacked a little pizzazz. | |
Museum director Michael Faber, who organises the fair in the western town of Mechernich-Kommern, said he hoped the new fleas would get through the show without suffering further casualties. | |
"This is no April Fool's. We saved the situation, otherwise there would have been no performance," he said. |