Circus animal breaks free Elephant walks through residential area in Neuwied

NEUWIED · An elephant in Neuwied escaped from his circus enclosure. Videos show him on his carefree trip through a Neuwied residential area - with a few people who were taking their chances by getting a little too close.

Slowly but surely, the animal walked down the main street and past houses in a residential area, undisturbed by cars and people. The elephant had broken free from his enclosure in Neuwied, not far from Koblenz, and walked for about a kilometer through the city. On Twitter, there were videos that showed Kenya - the name of the elephant - on his unexpected outdoor adventure.

It was a short and peaceful trip, said a police spokesperson. The animal did not seem frantic - and a circus employee was able to secure Kenya relatively easily. Traffic was not endangered according to police, and nobody was injured. Some stunned passers-by did not keep a safe distance to the massive animal, getting a little too close.

But how was Kenya able to escape from the “Circus Krone”? "He probably tore the electric fence of his enclosure," said the police spokesperson. Long after the animal had been taken back to the circus grounds, concerned citizens called police to report what they had seen on Twitter.

Animals breaking out of their enclosures at circus grounds happens frequently. In March, two zebras escaped from a circus in Ludwigshafen and in December, three camels escaped from a circus in Aldenhoven in NRW. They made themselves comfortable in a residential area. In May 2017, camels escaped from a circus in Saxony and caused a sensation: They ate a tree in peace and quiet before circus employees caught them again.

But unplanned encounters with circus animals are not always positive. In 2015, an escaped elephant in Buchen and killed a 65-year-old who was out for a walk.

(Original text: dpa / Translation: ck)

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