MARION, Ind. – A truck hauling zebras and camels for a sequence of weekend circus performances stuck fire early Saturday on a northeastern Indiana highway, prompting a police rescue of the animals, which roamed alongside the highway, some munching on grass.
The tractor-trailer stuck fire about 2 a.m. alongside Interstate 69 in Grant County and a state trooper, a Grant County Sheriff’s deputy and a 3rd individual rescued the 5 zebras, 4 camels and a miniature horse by means of main them off the smoked-filled trailer, mentioned Sgt. Steven Glass with Indiana State Police.
Both officials have been handled at a sanatorium for smoke inhalation and later launched, however none the animals have been injured, he mentioned. The truck motive force, a 57-year-old Sarasota, Florida, guy, was once no longer injured. All northbound lanes of I-69 have been closed till about 6:30 a.m. as soon as the realm was once wiped clean up and the animals have been taken away by means of some other truck.
The Grant County Sheriff’s Office posted pictures and movies on Facebook of camels strolling on the highway and later status alongside its shoulder and its median with zebras and regulation enforcement officials. The posting integrated the message, “No harm to our furry friends.”
One video displays probably the most zebras munching on grass in a surreal scene a number of miles east of town of Marion, situated about 60 miles (97 kilometers) northeast of Indianapolis.
“It’s not something we see every day,” mentioned Deputy Brent Ressett with the Grant County Sheriff’s Office.
The truck was once bringing the animals from Florida to Fort Wayne for 4 weekend circus performances within the northeastern Indiana town benefitting the Mizpah Shrine Circus, mentioned Steve Trump, its circus director.
He mentioned the performances are annual fundraisers for the Mizpah Shrine Circus to assist pay for the maintenance of the Shrine Center in Fort Wayne to “allow us to use our other fundraisers for what we’re known best for, taking care of kids.”
Trump said the truck’s crew stopped the vehicle along the highway to check a problem with the vehicle and discovered a fire that quickly spread, threatening the animals in its trailer until they were rescued.
The fire destroyed the truck and a second truck was sent from Fort Wayne to pick up the animals from the highway and bring them to Fort Wayne’s Memorial Coliseum to await their roles in the weekend’s family-friendly circus performances, he said.
“I was thrilled that things worked out that way,” Trump mentioned.
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