Video: Runaway circus elephant visits Dutch car boot sale

The car boot sale in Noordwijkerhout had a strange visitor on Sunday - Buba the elephant, who had wandered away from the Freiwald circus and decided to browse through the stalls.

The elephant calmly came wandering into the market. "There was no one with her and she walked right up to the people", Alice de Groot from Noordwijk said to the AD. Visitors called 112, somewhat worried that the police would not believe them, but officers came to the rescue.

Buba did not seem to notice the commotion she was causing. "She seemed quite at ease. She was investigating the trinkets with her trunk when her caregiver came running up, somewhat stressed", according to De Groot. "He called 'Buba', the elephant turned around and went with him like a lamb."

Gerard Guiking of the circus told the AD that Buba would not hurt a fly. "She's never tied up and she doesn't wear a collar. We can't stop her after all." he said. "She probably wanted to see if she could find carrots or apples at the market." According to the circus, Buba loves children and is super sweet.

Buba is now 40 years old and has been the star of the Freiwalds Menagerie Circus for 23 years.