Circus camel captured after three-hour police chase causes 'mayhem'

SYDNEY - A camel has been captured on a golf course after it escaped from a circus and led police on a three-hour chase through the tourist city of Darwin in Australia's Northern Territory on Monday.

Rush-hour drivers had to dodge the rogue animal as officers pursued it in a scene witnesses described as "bizarre".

"It caused a bit of traffic mayhem for a few minutes as it ran down a few streets," said Police Duty Superintendent Rob Burgoyne.

"It then ended up on the Royal Australian Airforce base golf course, where circus personnel were able to secure it on the ninth green."

"At least they managed to catch it before it caused any more problems."

Police admitted in a Facebook post the incident had presented an unusual challenge.

"It appears the fine men and women of the NT Police also have hidden talents in camel wrangling after they quickly tracked it down, secured it and handed it back over to circus personnel," it said.

Lee Meng-hsuan said she was walking on the street when the escaped camel passed her.

"I just walked and heard one man yell to another 'don't run or the camel will run more,'" she told the Australian Broadcasting Corp.

"When they tried to catch it, the camel started to run and cross the road."

Trying to catch a camel in this way is the worst possible approach, according to camel expert Paddy McHugh, who recommended a much simpler way to tame the beasts.

"You're better off just leaving it to settle and taking some feed up to it. Generally you can always catch them with food. They are suckers for food," he said.

The city of Darwin is no stranger to having escaped animals loose on its streets, with crocodiles, cattle and pigs all having similar encounters with the law over the years.

Xinhua - Ap

(China Daily 07/12/2017 page11)