Skip to main content
Tags: elephant | circus | truck | crash

Elephant Circus Truck Crashes

Elephant Circus Truck Crashes

An elephant is lifted up by a crane after a circus truck turned over on a highwayd in Spain. (El Digital de Albacete/MarĂ­a Guerrero via AP)

Tuesday, 03 April 2018 08:03 AM EDT

An elephant died and four more were being treated for injuries after a circus truck crash on a major Spanish highway that provoked an outcry among animal rights defenders.

The truck overturned on Monday on the highway linking Albacete with Murcia, in the south of the country, after overtaking another long vehicle, said Albacete's Civil Guard spokesman Jose Amado.

He said the initial investigation has found that the movement of the five female elephants inside the truck could have destabilized it when the driver maneuvered to switch lanes.

The driver wasn't injured, the spokesman said, but one of the elephants died on the spot.

The four surviving elephants are being treated by veterinarians in a public facility before being moved to a clinic in coming days, Amado said. Three of them have minor cuts and one has more serious injuries to her legs.

"With five unpredictable animals, each one of them weighing three to four tons, accidents can happen no matter how much care has been taken," he said.

Photos and videos shared by local police and authorities showed the elephants standing on the road and being lifted onto trucks by huge industrial cranes.

A section of the highway near Pozo Canada, south of Albacete, remained closed for nearly three hours until the carcass of the dead elephant was also removed, local authorities said.

Animal rights groups said the accident is the latest example of how the nature of the circus business is a danger to the physical and behavioral needs of wild animals.

"These incredible animals are being carted around the country, confined and forced to perform," said Animal Defenders International President Jan Creamer in an emailed statement, adding that animals are often "confined in small spaces, deprived of physical and social needs, spending excessive amounts of time shut in transporters."

The Association of United Circuses said the overturned truck had been cleared by authorities for the transportation of animals and the journey had been approved by veterinarians.

"Animal rights activists have turned this accident into a scandal," said the association's spokesman, Ignacio Pedrera. "They have used it to make politics and attack this industry when road accidents, whether involving animals or not, happen all the time."

Pedrera said 13 out of the 22 active circuses touring Spain use animals in performances. The industry employs more than 2,500 families, he added.

© Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


TheWire
An elephant died and four more were being treated for injuries after a circus truck crash on a major Spanish highway that provoked an outcry among animal rights defenders.
elephant, circus, truck, crash
392
2018-03-03
Tuesday, 03 April 2018 08:03 AM
Newsmax Media, Inc.

Sign up for Newsmax’s Daily Newsletter

Receive breaking news and original analysis - sent right to your inbox.

(Optional for Local News)
Privacy: We never share your email address.
Join the Newsmax Community
Read and Post Comments
Please review Community Guidelines before posting a comment.
 
TOP

Interest-Based Advertising | Do not sell or share my personal information

Newsmax, Moneynews, Newsmax Health, and Independent. American. are registered trademarks of Newsmax Media, Inc. Newsmax TV, and Newsmax World are trademarks of Newsmax Media, Inc.

NEWSMAX.COM
America's News Page
© Newsmax Media, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
Download the Newsmax App
NEWSMAX.COM
America's News Page
© Newsmax Media, Inc.
All Rights Reserved