A white Bengal tiger cub and its golden sister rest in a basket during a presentation in Managua, Nicaragua on April 12, 2016
SAN RAFAEL DEL SUR, NICARAGUA: A trio of rare Bengal tiger cubs have become the stars of a Mexican circus in Nicaragua, one of the few Central American countries that still allow circuses to own live animals.
The tigers — one white, one orange and one golden — were born three months ago to Paulina, a 200-kilogram (440-pound) female in the De Renato Circus, its owner, Renato Fuentes Townsend, told AFP.
Bengal tigers are classed as an endangered species, and Fuentes said “it is the first case I’ve seen” of such varied coloring in one litter.
His outfit, part of a traditional Mexican circus group called Hermanos Gasca, is unable to return to its homeland because of a law passed there 15 months ago prohibiting circuses from owning live animals, in line with legislation across much of Central America.
The circus has been touring for the past five years with a menagerie that also includes female elephants, two camels, a buffalo, a pony, two miniature donkeys and four horses. -AFP