Post by mickeyobe on Jul 13, 2007 15:21:52 GMT -5
This is too good not to pass on.
Its only connection with photograpy is that most of it was captured on video.
The radio transmissions were recorded.
In the early hours of Thursday morning in the lovely hamlet of Newmarket, about 35 km north of Toronto, 911 emergency received a telephone call. A calm voice said "Please send a police car. There are two elephants on my street." The 911 operator asked him to please repeat. Which he did. Then 911 called for a police car to go to Eagle Street as there were two elephants spotted wandering about. The police dispatcher asked 911 to please repeat. Which she did. The dispatcher called for any squad car in the vicinity to go to Eagle Street as two elephants were on the loose. A police officer said they were near Eagle Street. Would the dispatcher please repeat. Which he did. All this was said in the usual business like monotone used by radio operators and police officers.
The conversations continued throughout the entire episode between the police officer, the dispatcher and several other police cars. Although the tones of their voices were all business like one could tell that they didn't believe what was happening and they were all struggling to stifle their laughter.
Until the first car on the scene found two full grown elephants wandering down the street stripping and eating the leaves off the small trees and the garden plants they encountered.
Yes. The circus was in town and somebody had forgot to turn on the electric fence that usually surrounded the elephant enclosure. Two of the three pachyderms took advantage of the oversight. The third slept blissfully through the entire episode.
While the police sat in their cars waiting for the circus' elephant keeper to arrive a young man who lived on the street walked up to one of the elephants, patted him on the trunk and calmly and peacefully led him back to the circus which was staying in the sports arena and community center not far from my son Jeff's house. The keeper arrived and did the same with the second animal.
No damage had been done other than to some small trees and some gardens. But the elephants compensated the owners generously by depositing, at no charge, a considerable amount of fresh fertilizer on their lawns. The great animals, at all times, exhibited the very best manners and decorum.
Most of this adventure was captured on video and all of the conversations were recorded. It played very well on TV. I am trying to get a tape of the news item.
There you are. Some real news at last. Now top that.
Mickey