Animal rights activists say they're outraged by the incident. They have urged the court for an investigation into the deaths of the animals. According to a local firm, which did publicity for the circus, the Russian circus company officials quietly left the city and the country after they were unable to pay the loans. And the company says the officials abandoned the animals too. The Russian circus company, called Russian Circus on Ice, was not just making losses, but it was also allegedly duped of eight hundred thousand dollars by a north-east India-based events management company. It was this company that had invited the circus to perform in India.