Elephant causes safari park traffic jam after taking a nap in middle of road

It was the right time for Five the elephant to take a nap but perhaps not quite the best place, as the huge animal caused a traffic jam after snoozing in the middle of the road at a West Midlands safari park.

The 20-year-old African elephant laid across one of the roads at the safari park, much to the amazement of park visitors who were forced to sit in their cars until Five was ready to move.

The out-of-season warm October temperatures are believed to be the main cause of Five's relaxation stunt. However it was not too long until the elephant, weighing in at 11,000Ibs, went on his way to find somewhere less gravelly to rest.

Safari head keeper Andy Plumb snapped Five in his moment of bliss, telling the Daily Mail: 'When I arrived there was a queue of traffic forming and it just got bigger - he's a bit of a character so I'm not surprised he decided to crash out on a road.

'When he eventually woke up I don't think he knew what all the fuss was about. There was a big cheer and he just wandered off looking for somewhere else to sleep.

'We all had a good laugh about it for the rest of the day.'

Elephants have a reputation for causing traffic jams. The US football team were delayed for training during the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, after one elephant decided to snack on tree leaves.

The team suffered a second incident when another elephant strolled along the road, leaving the team's bus slowly following behind. The players therefore missed the first moments of the World Cup's opening game.

It was reported that the sign outside the team's hotel read: 'Elephants that come close to our fence keep a distance of 30 meters and please be quiet'.


/Metro/