Germany: Young escaped llama killed by train

German police on Tuesday reported that a family of three llamas escaped their enclosure in rural central Germany, and that the youngest of them had been struck and killed by a train. 

Police started receiving calls on Sunday evening about three llamas on the loose on the rail tracks, in a rural area of Germany close to the major Harz National Park nature reserve in the highland Harz area spanning three German states. 

"The keeper of the animals was already trying to catch the escaped animals," police said. "Two of the animals were able to be returned uninjured to their enclosure by the keeper. These were the two parents. A train tragically struck the young animal and injured it mortally." 

Both local and federal police, whose responsibilities include policing Germany's public transport network, had deployed to the scene, the federal police said in a statement published on Tuesday. 

"Afterwards, federal police questioned the animal's keeper. He said that he had accidentally left a wooden door open, so that the animals could leave the enclosure," police wrote. 

The incident led to traffic on the tracks being halted briefly and to short delays to three trains. 

Police urge care from animal owners 

The police statement only ever referred to the "keeper" or "holder" of the animals (Der Halter in German), without providing details on where the animals had escaped from. Keeping llamas as private pets in Germany, though uncommon, is legal, and so is keeping them in a zoo or a farm. 

Police also said they hoped to use the incident to warn of the "considerable dangers" of animals getting loose on train tracks. 

Although the train in this incident sustained no damage, police said that "in the case of a collision there is a danger of massive damage to the train and the rails." 

"A potential derailment would additionally mean a danger to people's lives and wellbeing," police said. 

They noted that animal owners would typically be questioned after any such events and that in some circumstances they could bear legal liability.

msh/dj (AFP, German Federal Police statement)