BANGKOK: Is Bangkok really a city famous for its wild nights? You bet it is.
And in more ways than one, as I found out the day I arrived to take up my one-year secondment to the Asian News Network.
A bull elephant, crazed by sex and hunger, ran amok at about 1.30am here last Friday.
“Ole,” apparently left unfed by its mahout, was later found in a drunken stupor.
Police took four hours to sober him up – the same stretch of time the 30-year old jumbo went on a rampage.
Scores of panic-stricken people in the area scrambled out of the way, resulting in a stampede.
But Ole did not run after them for long. Instead, its attention was diverted to one of his own species.
“Pumpui,” a three-year old cow elephant that was tied up nearby, bore the brunt of his anger.
She suffered serious injuries
By now mahouts had called the police, who in turn sought the services of veterinarian Alongkorn Mahannop.
Alongkorn spent some time trying to calm the jumbo down as a crowd of about 200 people watched nervously.
When his patience ran out he resorted to what the experts on the Discovery Channel do – fire a tranquilliser dart.
But the shot further enraged Ole, who charged at a taxi.
The driver and the passengers leapt out before Ole’s trunk smashed the vehicle.
Thankfully, the sedative started to take effect.
Within minutes the lethargic giant was tame enough to accept food from members of a rescue team.
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