German cops have ordered a circus to pay the costs of an operation to round up four runaway zebras that escaped onto city streets.
The zebra escape shows one of the escaped animals running along the banks of the Elbe River in the middle of the city of Dresden, in the eastern German state of Saxony.
All four animals were reportedly part of a visiting circus and they escaped during a rehearsal for the grand premiere.
Video Credit: CEN/@elli_bluerelli
One of the animals was quickly recaptured, while the other three needed to be rounded up by the police from the banks of the Elbe.
One of the animals reportedly died from suspected heart failure caused by stress shortly after being caught.
In total, seven patrol cars and a mounted police unit assisted circus workers in trying to track down the runaway zebras.
One of the cops even received unspecified injuries when he was kicked by one of the animals.
According to the Saxony regional government, the circus will now have to pay the police force’s costs.
State MP Volkmar Zschocke of the political party Alliance 90/The Greens asked the state government who would bear the costs for the unusual police operation.
State minister for social and labour affairs Barbara Klepsch of the Christian-Democratic Union (CDU) explained that the costs “are charged to those who caused it”.
She said: “On basis of Saxony’s Administrative Costs Act, administrative fees and expenses of 1,161 EUR (1,023 GBP) are to be compensated for the police operation in question.”
It was not revealed whether the injured officer would be making a separate claim for compensation.
Story By: Koen Berghuis, Sub-Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Central European News
