Rio wraps up carnival with African roots celebration

Rio de Janeiro ended this year’s carnival parade in style today, wowing a capacity crowd of 60,000 revellers with a samba act celebrating Brazil’s African roots.

The samba group Beija Flor – “hummingbird” in English – paraded its float featuring a gilded hummingbird surrounded by leaping impalas, with performers in giant elephant and giraffe suits in addition to the usual elaborately plumed and barely clothed dancers.