Jumbo-sized problem for Zurich police

A circus elephant that escaped from her keeper and wandered round the streets of Zurich for a couple of hours has been safely recaptured.

Sabu managed to break free on Sunday night when her keeper wasn’t watching, headed off to Lake Zurich and took a dip in the water, before stunning onlookers as she strolled down the Bahnhofstrasse, the city’s priciest shopping street.

Trailed by her keepers and police with blue lights and sirens, she continued towards the railway station. A circus spokesman said the animal took no notice when called, and moved so fast that it was hard to keep up with her.

She was finally caught at about 9pm and was taken to a waiting truck that drove her on to nearby Winterthur where the rest of the animals had already been moved.

The circus believes storms in the area may have scared her.

The spokesman said no damage or injuries were caused during the elephant’s adventure, adding: “It is not as easy to stop an elephant as it is a dog.”

The circus owner said the 26-year-old animal was tired after her adventure, but was obviously “pleased to be back”.

The animal protection organisation Four Paws said it was lucky that there had not been an accident. It called for a ban on circuses using wild animals.

swissinfo.ch and agencies