Animal rescue services in Germany have come under heavy criticism after they shot dead an escaped circus zebra that strayed onto the Autobahn.

Officials have been forced to defend the decision to use lethal force amid growing anger over the incident, which took place on Wednesday.

A spokesman said the zebra, which had already caused an accident and injured a police officer, was a “clear threat” to public safety.

The zebra, named Pumba, was one of two that escaped from the travelling Circus Barlay when it arrived in the north-east German town of Tessin.

The first zebra was quickly recaptured, but Pumba ran onto the A20 motorway where it caused a collision between two cars.

No one was hurt in the crash but a police officer was injured trying to capture the escaped zebra by hand. “The animal was going in the wrong direction on the Autobahn,” a police spokesman said. 

There is no speed limit on much of the German motorway network, and police tweeted an urgent warning to drivers to watch out for the escaped zebra.

Animal rescue services were called in but were unable to recapture the zebra safely, according to officials.

“To fire a tranquiliser dart at an animal the maximum distance should be between 30 and 45 metres,” Ulrich Kunze, a spokesman for the local fire service said.

“As I understand it our officers were no closer than 60 to 70 metres from the zebra. They had no choice and so decided to use live ammunition. At least two shots were fired. "

But that account was disputed by an eyewitness, who claimed the zebra could have been easily recaptured and that officers fired from just 10 metres distance.

“There was no danger,” Petra Melchin, a local resident, told Bild newspaper. “The animal was exhausted, its head was down.”

The circus owners said they intend to press charges over the incident.