Lion, tiger, elephant saved from truck fire, oh my
A circus elephant, tiger and lion spent a few anxious moments on a Canadian roadside after a fire broke out in the truck that was transporting them to their next show.
A lion, tiger and elephant remained calm, cool and collected after the circus truck transporting them to their next show caught fire on Saturday afternoon in northern Quebec, The Canadian Press reported.
The animals were part of Cirque Mondo headed to a show in Sept-Iles, Que.
"For reasons still unknown, the fire broke out while the truck was still moving," police Sgt. Claude Denis told CP. "The driver of the truck and the animals were not injured."
The handlers kept the tiger and a younger lion in a bear cage, while the elephant remained on a leash in a rest stop along the highway, the Toronto Sun reported.
The fire started in the truck's engine about noon on Saturday, completely destroying the vehicle.
"The animals were surprisingly very calm," public safety director Alain Gravel told the Sun.
They didn't much like the snow, he said.
Passing motorists traveling along Highway 138 stopped to take photos, and firefighters needed about three hours to clean the mess left behind by the burning wreckage.
The Montreal-based circus is planning to hold a show Monday in Sept-Iles, Que.
"It was pretty impressive," Gravel said of the menagerie, "we don't see that very often."
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