An elephant has died and two others have been injured after a circus truck crashed in southeastern Spain. The lorry […]
An elephant has died and two others have been injured after a circus truck crashed in southeastern Spain.
The lorry carrying five of the animals overturned on the A30 in Pozo Canada near Albacete south east of Madrid on Monday afternoon.
Police released pictures of the elephants appearing to feed on grass by crash barriers before being led to a safer area.
They revealed: “The A30 has been closed because a lorry has overturned. Elephants are loose on the tarmac.”
Spain’s Road Safety Authority the DGT confirmed one of the elephants had died in the incident.
Four other animals, who like the lorry driver escaped with their lives, were travelling in the vehicle.
Silvia Barquero, the president of Spanish animal welfare political party PACMA, said the animals belonged to the Gottani Circus, which has performed several shows in the area over Easter.
She tweeted: “The lorry that has overturned was carrying Circo Gottani elephants. Show them more kindness. We treat animals like slaves. Enough of circuses that use animals.”
The head of the government’s traffic department, Gregorio Serrano, said on Twitter that early indications suggested the truck had overturned as it tried to overtake another vehicle.