INFURIATED BULL

Hokitika Guardian, 22 June 1933, Page 7

INFURIATED BULL

CAUSES TROUBLE AT PENROSE. SEVERAL PEOPLE ATTACKED. AUCKLAND, June 19. Panic among road-users was caused by an infuriated bull which charged all pedestrians and vehicles in Church Street, Penrose, for about half-an-lialf on Thursday-afternoon. The animal, a comparatively small beast, was shot with difficulty next morning. The bull was one of a mob of condemned cattle being driven to the boil-ing-down works at about 4.30 in the afternoon. It wandered among some large rocks at the roadside, and fell, being- unable to rise again, in spite of the efforts of the driver of the stock. The bull was left temporarily where it had fallen, but before long it succeeded in clambering back on to the road.

Thoroughly infuriated, the bull charged the first moving objects that c. r light its eye, a party of four cyclists. All dropped their machines and ran for safety to a large motor-bus, which was parked by the roadside. Three of the men climbed into the bus, having a good margin to spare, but the fourth, who had been slower in dropping hie bicycle, was nearly overtaken by the bull, and had to clamber across the bonnet of the bus, as he had no time to run round the front to reach the door.

I Other men on bicycles, on their way j home from work at the various facJ tories and plants in the vicinity, also I attracted the attention of the bull, and a number had to leap hurriedly over a atone fence into a paddoek. A small motor-car which passed along Church Street was chased by the animal, which gave up after covering some distance. The driver of the parked bus, Mr N. C. Preston-, in describing the incidents, said the only actual victim of the bull was a motor-truck with which an effort was made to drive the* animal away. Travelling slowly, the driver bumped the animal several times with one of the front mudguards. Without warning, however, the beast turned suddenly and attacked the truck, smashing the. radiator.After chasing several pedestrians, who sought safety behind a stone wall, the bull eventually jumped a fence into a paddock adjoining the Southdown railway station. It was allowed to remain in the paddock untl yesterday .moning, when it was decided to shoot it.

As soon as the man who intended shooting the bull entered the oaddock the animal charged him, and the man, dropping his rifle, ran for safety. Tbc beast was eventually shot from a distance.