LIONS ON THE HIGHWAY

Taranaki Daily News, 10 December 1931, Page 7

LIONS ON THE HIGHWAY

ESCAPE FROM CIRCUS CAGE. . TRAFFIC BLOCK IN VICTORIA. (New Zealand Herald Correspondent.); -j. Sydney, Dec. 3. A Hon and a lioness which, escaped from Perry Bros, circus caravan on tho main road near Mansfield, in Victoria, terrorised cattle in adjoining fields, held up the local show-day traffic, and provided residents and others with an exciting hunt that lasted for more than three hours. Peter was the lion, and Queenie was the lionees, and they were travelling in a cage lashed to a motor truck at the rear of the-circus caravan. When the cage lurched over a bump in the road Peter was thrown against the door, and it burst open, Both Peter and Queenie fell out, but the driver was unaware what had happened, and as the motor truck jolted along the lion and the lioness followed for nearly a mile. Then a Bonnie Doon farmer, on his way to the Mansfield Show, came upon the beasts just as he rounded a bend in the road, and he received such a shock that he almost ran his can into a ditch at the side of the road. The Bonnie Doon man quickly recovered and, glad, no doubt, to get away from the scene, rushed to the caravan and reported what he had seen. Great excitement at once prevailed. The driver of the caravan went back for a mile, but could find no trace of the beasts. Then someone noticed that the cattle in a nearby field were more lively than was normally the case. They had reason to be. The lion and his mate were prowling up and down outside a barbed wire fence,.and the cattle seemed to realise that, only this fence., .was between them and.death. The beasts quickly disappeared when the crowd came in sight, so it was decided to inform the local constable. He seized his gun and mustered five car loads of local residents to assist him in the search. When they arrived somewhere near the scene they found that all traffic for four miles had been blocked. The army had to proceed on . foot. .It looked more like a picnic than a lion hunt. It was not long before the animals were located, and it required some effort •n the part of the proprietor and the constable to prevent all and sundry from : firing. .The circus-cage was brought back, and by some means or other, and greatly to. the disappointment, of the biggame hunters, Peter was cQaxed inside. • Queenie was more cunning, and eluded . capture time and again. Mounting one of- the cars one- of the circus.men. man- • aged to -lassob Queenie, but . Queenie ; quickly chewed through the rope and then regained her liberty. She was, however, trapped by a leg of beef thrown into the cage. This she simply could not resist. The circus played to a bumper house tit Mansfield that night.