Catastrophe Strikes German Flea Circus

Frigid temperatures are being blamed for 300 circus performers freezing to death in Germany. That is, 300 flea circus performers. Yes, you read that right.

Evidently freezing temperatures took out the flea circus’ entire performing troupe last week. The tragedy was discovered by flea circus director Robert Birk who said he was shocked to find all his beloved performers had gone to that great gig in the sky.

But that old entertainment slogan about how “the show must go on” is evidently true even at the flea level. With the flea circus scheduled to play an open-air fair in Mechernich-Kommern during the weekend, fair organizer Michael Faber said an insect expert at a nearby university was able to provide 50 fleas for the circus’ Sunday performance. Where those fleas came from was not disclosed.

Photo: dpa, Frank Leonhardt,File/AP

File photo depicts flea pulls a little cart at a circus performing at the Munich Oktoberfest beer festival.

But Faber is optimistic about future performances, saying he hopes they’ll “get through this without any more fatalities.”