Death of escaped giraffe discussed in Italian Parliament

The tragic end of a circus giraffe who escaped onto the streets of a town near Bologna on Friday then died after being tranquillized for re-capture was discussed in Italian Parliament on Monday. Following the animal's death, Imola city authorities ordered the Aldo Martini Circus to close down and leave the vicinity. Senator Carlo Giovanardi of ex-premier Silvio Berlusconi's People of Freedom (PdL) party said that the 40 people working for the circus "are not criminals". The 920-kilogram giraffe named Aleksandre eluded capture for several hours, running amok and damaging cars during rush hour on Friday. "The stress and the excessive seditive administered against the will of the circus workers on site is what killed the animal," said Giovanardi.