The lion escaped: ban on circus predators in Italy

The escape of Kimba the male lion from a circus in the coastal town of Ladispoli near Rome, which sent an entire community into a frenzy over the weekend, has consequences. The Ronnie Roller Circus, currently on a stop in Ladispoli, is still allowed to hold shows, but must do without predators.

Circuit director Ronnie Vassallo reached this compromise with the mayor of Ladispoli, Alessandro Grando, as mentioned on Facebook. The circus director now faces charges of neglecting his duty of supervision.

I wandered around the city for hours

The predator roamed the city with a population of 40,000 north of Rome for hours on Saturday. Hundreds of residents fled to their homes. Only in the evening was it possible to stun the lion with an arrow and return it to the circus.

Local authorities are currently investigating how the lion escaped from its metal enclosure. “What happened is very strange. All we can say is that the lion does not have the ability to open the latch and open the lock,” Vassallo said. He did not rule out that the predator’s cage had been deliberately opened to allow him to escape and complained of vandalism.

A dispute over circus performances with exotic animals has been raging in Italy for years. Circus directors have been repeatedly accused of animal cruelty. 2000 animals are used in Italian circuses.