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Elephant killed by bus.
MEXICO — A five-ton elephant was killed by a bus after it escaped from a circus in Mexico, and wandered onto a busy highway.
Bus driver Tomas Lopez, 49, also died and at least four passengers were taken to hospital after the accident, which happened just before dawn on Tuesday in Ecatepec, north of Mexico City.
The elephant had escaped from its cage at the Circo Union circus, according to Mexico State police spokesman Juan Sanchez, who said officers were still investigating the circumstances.
It is understood that the 40-year-old animal, named Hilda, broke free as her keeper arrived to feed her.
She apparently knocked down a metal door that led to the street and wandering through two neighbourhoods before trying to cross the road.
Marcelino Ramos, 22, keeper at the Circo Union circus, told El Universal daily newspaper: “I untied her so she could eat. She never did this before, but suddenly she ran at full speed and broke through the gate.”
Police said the bus driver stood no chance of avoiding the elephant as it charged onto the road near the famous Teotihuacan pyramids.
Last month, a 500lb lion escaped from a private zoo in southern Mexico. The animal killed two dogs and a pig and attacked a woman and child on a donkey before it was sedated and caught.
via telegraph.co.uk
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Maureen Adams
September 27th, 2008 at 12:07 pm
This makes me angry because so many zoo/circus animals suffer. Continually being transported, chained or caged, forced to preform in noisy crowds, no trees or wild savanna, no sunsets or sunrises, no sounds of birds or nature around them. How can they possibly be happy. And then humans wonder why they try and escape.
I honestly wept when I saw this. They are such intelligent animals and inthe wild travel in groups with family members. We can be such a callous and even cruel species. Some might not agree, but I thought this poor animal had to be very unhappy to try and escape….and then when I saw it dead on the road I thought…at least it won’t suffer anymore at the hands of humans. But it should not have to die to end its suffering.
What are we doing taking these majestic animals and so many others like them from their homes in the wild and forcing them into SLAVERY for the sole purpose of entertaining some human whim? Please forgive me my rant but I cannot help it when I see this magnificent and intelligent animal laying there dead. Thank you for posting things like this to help people see the often other side of life for wild animals held in captivity.
It is so important that we reconnect to the human animal inside ourselves so that we might empathize with other species. I think having a closer bond with nature helps us see more clearly the beauty and value of all Life. I pray there will come a day when we understand that they (other species) are our equal…they are US.
Thank you from my heart,
Robin