A startled camel bolted through the streets of a Los Angeles suburb until circus roustabouts tempted it home with a carrot, bemused witnesses said.

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Abdullah outran her keepers at the Ramos Brothers Circus prior to Friday night's performance in Glendale and was running headlong toward a busy intersection before circus handlers caught up with a carrot.

"Workers were rushing after the camel, and then one of the workers was trying to go and stop traffic," witness Hamed Hamad told KABC-TV, Los Angeles.

Abdullah started loping back to the big top but had one more side trip in mind and detoured through a gas station.

"People were surprised," said Doug Ramos, one of the Ramos brothers. "It's not every day you see a camel running through the gas station."

Ramos told KABC the escape took place during a routine exercise walk. A worker apparently dropped a wrench, which startled the animals and caused Abdullah to make a break for it.

"Literally there was 10 people running after this camel. It was craziness on the street. I heard kids yelling and screaming," said witness Diana Madison.