Llamas and goats cause major traffic disruptions at the Red Cow roundabout after escaping from a circus.
A section of the Red Cow interchange, one of the busiest on the M50 motorway was closed for half an hour as members of An Garda Síochána and South Dublin County Council staff captured five llamas and three goats that had escaped from a circus in Tallaght.
A gate in the Circus Sydney compound was left open and the animals made their way onto the M50 where they ran free for 2 kilometres.
Senior Executive Officer at South Dublin County Council Philip Murphy says the situation was incredibly dangerous for the travelling public and a major operation was required to capture the animals.
In simple terms it was a miracle that no one was injured this afternoon on the M50 when the animals were loose.
The animals have been transferred to a holding pound in Summerhill, County Meath and circus owner Alexander Scholl is facing a 5,500 euro charge to retrieve them. This amount is a contribution towards the Council’s cost in rounding up the animals, however, Alexander Scholl disputes the cost.
Why so much, nobody got hurt, there was no accident, there was nothing happened, you know it’s very, very big money for keep llamas for one day.
The Council will keep the animals for five days, after which if they are not collected, it will decide whether or not to sell them.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 1 October 2009. The reporter is Martina Fitzgerald.
