AN OSTRICH freed from a circus by bungling animal rights activists was killed by a hit-and-run driver 10 minutes after being released.
Criminal activists broke in and released Nala along with her partner Zawo and a goose called Fred from the Kaiser Circus in Munich, Germany.
All three fled into the night after the door keeping them captive was removed from its hinges by activists who broke in to the compound.
But the thoughtless activists released them near a busy road handing a death warrant to Nala.
Circus staff who went looking for them found the dead ostrich in the road just a short distance from the big top.
Police say three men and a woman – known animal rights activists – were responsible for her death.
The two other birds were recaptured.
Circus director André Kaiser, who was looking after some camels when the intruders set the birds free, said: “It has really affected me. I live with my animals.”
There was fury from animal lovers after the incident.
Phil Astley from London said: “The half-baked activists, idealistic fools that they are, are themselves victims of the manipulative propaganda distributed by animal rights (AR) organisations which make millions out of their exaggerated claims of cruelty, yet spend not a penny on saving animals which are REALLY in danger.
Another anonymous online commenter said: This is just awful, animals rights organisations and their supporters are a bunch of losers who couldn’t care less about animals, this is not the first time something like this has happened. “Support animal welfare not animal rights, animal rights wants to end all human animal contact.”
The circus had been the target of a campaign against animals used for entertainment with posters defaced with the words: “Animal torturers. Free all animals”.
Police mounted extra patrols at the circus big top after the incident to discourage any more misguided attempts to help free the 80 animals in cages there.
