This is the moment a hippopotamus escaped from a circus and launched its bid for freedom.

In the amazing clip, the huge beast can be seen wandering across a busy main road as frightened pedestrians back away

The giant mammal mooches across the tarmac as cars zoom past.

Apparently unconcerned by the traffic, the creature stops to snack on a bit of grass from the embankment in the middle of the road.

After it's brief meal, the hippo lumbers away - once again scattering anyone in its path.

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The beast had escaped from a circus in Palos de la Frontera, near Huevla in the south-west of Spain.

But the hippo's quest for freedom was short lived and it was soon rounded up and taken back to the circus.

The escaped beast made itself at home on a busy road (
Image:
Twitter / @LolaMarquez12)
Worried pedestrians got out of the creature's way (
Image:
Twitter / @LolaMarquez12)

Hippopotamuses normally inhabit Sub-saharan Africa, can grow to 1.5 metres long and weigh an average of 1,500kg.

They are considered to be highly aggressive and kill a number of people each year in Africa.