A circus elephant ran amok in a busy area in the suburbs of Pune on Wednesday, as people bolted in fear and traffic on a nearby street came to a standstill.
The elephant was captured by municipal officials in the Bhosari area of Pimpri-Chinchwad industrial township after they spoke to forest officials over the phone about how to calm the animal down.
The elephant belongs to a circus that had shifted to Bengaluru in July, but could not take the animal along because of a pending transit permit. Four elephants of the Rambo Circus were housed at the circus ground after it shifted.
On Wednesday, people could be seen provoking the elephant and the police chased the animal with sticks to prevent it from leaving the ground.
{{/usCountry}}On Wednesday, people could be seen provoking the elephant and the police chased the animal with sticks to prevent it from leaving the ground.
{{/usCountry}}The Animal Welfare Board had recently seized a few animals of the circus after complaints that they were being tortured.
A spokesperson for the circus said the elephants will be shifted to a private facility immediately. “We are also trying to get transit permission as soon as possible,” he said.