A semi-truck hauling circus animals erupted in flames on an Indiana highway early Saturday morning — setting free camels, zebras and a horse to run wild along the pavement.
Troopers scrambled to catch the camels, who were seen in incredible footage trotting across Interstate 69 as the smoke of the trailer billows in the background.
Unfazed by the chaos, five zebras were seen munching on nearby grass as the red lights and sirens of emergency vehicles blared in the background.
The trailer — loaded with animals — caught fire around 2 a.m. on Interstate 69 in Grant County, roughly 60 miles northeast of Indianapolis.
Fortunately, two troopers who were patrolling the area saw the inferno and rushed to escort the animals to safety, according to state police.
“It’s not something we see every day,” said Deputy Brent Ressett with the Grant County Sheriff’s Office.
It took about four hours for officials to extinguish the fire and reopen the highway — and more importantly, corral the animals.
The zebras and camels were eager to eat a quick roadside meal as fire officials fought the fire. The singular miniature horse also didn’t stray far, making all the furry performers easily accounted for after the terrifying inferno.
The semi-truck was destroyed in the blaze, the origins of which fire officials attributed to equipment failure.
None of the ten animals or their 57-year-old driver were injured in the accident.
The two officers who rushed into the smoking trailer to rescue the circus animals were taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation but were later released.
Police fenced the camels, zebras and horse between makeshift barriers until other trucks from the Shrine Circus arrived.
The truck was bringing the animals from Florida to Fort Wayne for a four-weekend circus performance in northeastern Indiana benefitting the Mizpah Shrine Circus, said Steve Trump, its circus director.
He said the performances are annual fundraisers for the Mizpah Shrine Circus to help pay for the upkeep 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.”
With Post Wires