MOSCOW, February 17 (RIA Novosti) - A group of
Russian camels that was held up at the Russian-Ukrainian border
for two weeks in freezing temperatures has reached its final
destination of Bulgaria.
"The camels crossed the border and will be at their
destination in two hours," said a spokesman for the camels'
owner, the Bulgarian Stefani ART circus.
A truck carrying 20 camels from the southern Russian
republic of Kalmykia to a circus in Bulgaria was stopped by
Ukrainian customs officials after crossing the Russian border
on January 31. Customs agents checked all of the documents and
cleared the truck containing the animals to leave Russia, but
the truck was not allowed into Ukrainian territory.
One of the camels died of asphyxiation during the wait at the
border before the animals were finally allowed to transit
Ukraine on February 12. Another camel sustained a leg wound
that was discovered at the Moldovan-Romanian border.
The camels arrived at the Romanian border on Saturday but
were not permitted to enter the country "because of problems
with the certificate not being translated into Romanian,
English or any other language that is used in Romania," Marjana
Terba, a spokeswoman for the Romanian Agriculture Ministry said
on Monday.
The circus spokesman said that as soon as the animals
arrived they would be checked by veterinarians, who would take
blood samples and quarantine them for three days, after which
they would be free to work.
He said that after training, the Kalmykian camels would
become part of a circus act. "This is exotic for Europe," he
said. "We have chosen the camels and will train them, then hand
them over to the circus."
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