August 04, 2008
STUNNED motorists were confronted with the sight of a 500kg bull charging straight at them yesterday when a show-bound bovine made a bid for freedom down one of Brisbane's busiest inner-city roads.
The bull must have gotten stage fright at the thought of being led around at the city's EKKA parade and hoofed it while being unloaded from a cattle truck at the RNA showgrounds.
The bull caused mayhem as he charged down Bowen Bridge Road - towards Brisbane's major hospital - with his handlers in hot pursuit.
Country resident Kathleen Moffatt from Miles in the state's south west saw the bull escape and gave chase on foot.
"I was just keeping up with it so we could contain it and know where it was," she said.
"You've got to tell these city people that the next time someone is running up the street behind a bull to just stop and not get out of their car and try to wrangle it for us."
One motorist almost ran over it while driving to work.
"Most of the traffic stopped and there were cars and people following it trying to keep the traffic away," the driver said.
It ended up outside a camping shop where it headbutted and smashed the store's glass frontage.
"I was just saying to the police that I wonder if this is covered by my insurance, trying to claim damage caused by livestock. It's been an interesting day at work," Tentworld employee Morgan Wilson said.
Police closed a section of the street as a posse of 15 cowboys was called in to herd the bull on to a cattle truck.
Owner Julie Nixon said the bull, suffering a sore nose after his outing, would be sent home.
