You don't see that everyday...

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Dambo goes Rambo in Cubao noon show

By JONATHAN L. MAYUGA
TODAY Correspondent

Tanks and a million protesters may seem a not-so-extraordinary site at historic EDSA, but an elephant?

In a literally traffic-stopping high-noon drama, a performing elephant went wild Thursday and broke free from the carnival at the Araneta Center in Quezon City, sending its trainers, security officers, barangay officials and hundreds of kibitzers on a wild goose chase from the busy Cubao district to the Kamuning-EDSA area.

Worried spectators repeatedly doused the elephant, named “Dambo,” with water when they noticed it seemed to be panting, and it took an oversized beer delivery truck to corner it near a tree where its handlers temporarily chained one foot, before a dose of tranquilizers finally allowed them to subdue it.

The 10-foot elephant named “Dambo” was apparently agitated by the heat inside the huge tent where its Thai trainer repeatedly coaxed it and several others to perfect their act for the big day -- Friday’s Elephant World show, said carnival organizers.

Policemen, Araneta Center security and elephant trainers of the show could barely believe their eyes when Dambo went wild and ran off, as curious spectators, unaware of the danger posed by the confused and upset performer, started to trail him.

They had no idea he had just walked out of the show, like a prima donna suddenly stomping out and forcing a pack-up.

Dambo, whose right foot was chained to the concrete floor at the carnival area, broke loose and started to run at about noon, after hours of training. The chain snapped when Dambo tried to raise his two front feet, and ran back and forth. The elephant keepers tried to stop him, but the raging animal was too big and strong.

He ran across the Epifanio de los Santos Avenue to the surprise of motorists. Soon, cars, passenger buses and jeepneys stopped at the busy Cubao area as people watched a “preview” of Friday’s show.

“It’s very hot. He goes wild when it’s hot,” Dambo’s handler, who refused to identify himself, told reporters.

Fortunately, no one was hurt in the long chase, except for one unidentified keeper who was dragged by Dambo as he escaped.

The handler was injured in the left leg, but doctors said he was doing well.

From the stable of elephants, Dambo ran toward E. Rodriguez, to EDSA then to Tomas Morato and ended up in Kamuning, where the exhausted elephant was cornered with the use of a 10-wheeler truck of San Miguel Beer. No, the obviously thirsty elephant didn’t demand for ice-cold beer, though kibitzers said that should have calmed him down, or even sent him to sleep.

The driver intentionally used the truck to stop Dambo, and later blockaded one side of the road to prevent other vehicles from hitting the disoriented animal. Dambo, according to one of the Thai trainers, often goes wild when it’s very hot. The elephant only calmed down when residents of Kamuning doused him with water.

Despite the incident, organizers of Elephant World said with or without Dambo, the show will go on. Residents of Kamuning where Dambo rested until he was given tranquilizers and brought back to the carnival said, however, that with Dambo’s stunt: “We already got the show of our life -- and it’s for free.”

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[Gandalf]

For some reason that reminded me of that scene from Gangs of New York, where that huge mob was storming down the street and all stop in confusion when they see the elephant. Bizarre scene.