Police say Freddy bit and kicked people near a Holßel roundabout before his owner helped bring the escaped animal under control.
GEESTLAND, Germany — A runaway donkey named Freddy climbed into a motorhome and injured three people Friday after escaping with a mare near a roundabout in Holßel, a community in northern Germany, according to Cuxhaven police. A 33-year-old woman required hospital treatment.
Passersby reported seeing Freddy and the loose horse near the roundabout on the morning of Aug. 21, police said. A 58-year-old woman and a 59-year-old man traveling in a motorhome stopped and attempted to secure the donkey. Police said Freddy reacted aggressively, entered their vehicle and began biting and kicking at them. Both motorists were from the Wurster Nordseeküste area, according to the original police statement.
A 33-year-old woman from Geestland then stopped to help the two motorists, authorities said. Police said the donkey also bit her, knocked her to the ground and kicked her. All three people suffered injuries that police classified as minor. The 33-year-old was taken to a hospital for treatment, while the two people from the motorhome did not require hospital care.
The incident ended after Freddy’s owner arrived and helped secure the donkey, police said. The animal was then returned to the owner’s property. Authorities did not report further injuries after the owner intervened. Police also notified the local veterinary authority about what had happened.
Cuxhaven police said investigators did not know why Freddy suddenly reacted so aggressively. Authorities raised the possibility that the donkey may have been trying to protect the mare that had escaped with him, but they did not establish that as the cause of his behavior. No other explanation for the reaction had been confirmed.
The original German police statement described the motorists’ vehicle as a “Wohnmobil,” meaning a motorhome or camper. Some English-language reports, including coverage by The Associated Press and People, described the vehicle as a van. Both accounts agree that Freddy entered the vehicle while the motorists were trying to bring him under control.
The episode occurred in Holßel, part of the city of Geestland in the Cuxhaven district of Lower Saxony. The community is south of the coastal city of Cuxhaven. Regional German coverage reported that Freddy and the mare had been loose near the roundabout before the motorists stopped to intervene.
A photograph released by Cuxhaven police after the incident showed Freddy back in an enclosure in Holßel. Authorities did not report that any of the injuries were life-threatening. The two motorists remained out of the hospital, while the 33-year-old woman received medical care for her injuries.
As of Monday, authorities had not announced a definitive explanation for Freddy’s behavior or reported additional injuries connected with the incident. The veterinary office had been informed, and police said the donkey was returned to the owner’s property after being secured.
Author note: Last updated August 24, 2026.