This photo released by the Cuxhaven Police Department shows a donkey named Freddy in its enclosure in Holssel near Cuxhaven, Germany, Friday, Aug. 21, 2026. (Polizei Cuxhaven via AP)

2026-08-21T12:33:48Z

BERLIN (AP) — A donkey on the loose in northern Germany attacked two motorists by jumping into their van on Friday, kicking and biting them along with a third woman who tried to help restrain the aggressive equine, police said.

The incident south of the coastal city of Cuxhaven came to an end as the animal’s owner intervened to secure the animal, Cuxhaven police said in a statement.

Passersby noticed the donkey, whose name is Freddy, and a horse were running loose at a roundabout in the town of Holssel. The motorists tried to secure the donkey, which “became very aggressive” and jumped into the van.

The 33-year-old woman who tried to help required hospital treatment, while the motorists sustained minor injuries, the police statement said.

“The reason for the animal’s aggressive reaction is still unclear,” the statement said.