A giraffe has caused traffic chaos in Mexico after animal rights activists allegedly stormed a circus troupe and opened the animal's cage – letting it run free.
In the video the giraffe can be seen making a mad dash for freedom down a road as stunned motorists are forced to make quick manoeuvres to avoid crashing into the galloping creature.
Barley Circus, who housed the giraffe, has accused animal rights activists of opening the animal's pen.
"The giraffe is always let outside in the morning, and the keeper went back inside for a moment to get food for the giraffe," a circus's spokesperson told.
"In the meantime, within 5 minutes, somebody went in and opened the pen and let her out."
Someone also spray-painted circus trailers and tried to break into circus cars. He said that while he has no proof, he believes animal rights activists to be behind it.
It's the latest in an ongoing push by Mexican animal rights activists to ban circus animals.
Activists claim they are fighting the kinds of abuses that came to light in March when environmental inspectors raided a small circus in the southern state of Yucatan and seized a black bear that had its lower jaw and upper teeth ripped out or cut off to keep it from biting.
But those in the circus world have slammed the crackdown, saying they are closely regulated and inspected.
