Elephants keep a Diesel from overturning on I-49

www.npsheriff.org...

This is such a crazy local story that I had to share it....

On Tuesday morning March 24th at approximately 7:03am, Natchitoches Parish Sheriff's Deputies received a call requesting assistance
with a stranded eighteen wheeler truck on Interstate 49 near the Powhatan exit.

Deputies were dispatched to assist with traffic.

When deputies arrived on scene, they were astounded to find two elephants keeping the eighteen wheeler from overturning.

Three elephants on the truck were being transported from New Orleans to Dallas, Texas area.

Further investigation reveals the elephants were being transported from Florida to a circus in Dallas (Frisco), Texas area.

A local wrecker service was contacted to assist in the removal of the 2000 Kenworth eighteen wheeler.

The truck was stuck after the driver pulled on the edge of the soft shoulder.

No citations were issued.

Apparently they had some training being circus elephants and all, but still, imagine driving down the highway and seeing three elephants holding up an 18-wheeler.....

I love elephants. I don't think people realize how intelligent they are, otherwise no one would ever want to harm them.

And thanks for the pictures. They say a thousand words.

a reply to: ladyinwaiting

Agreed, I think they are right up there with dolphins.

And you're welcome!

Looks like he was trying to use the elephants to get unstuck. He had to open the trailer doors to let the elephants out, and might have been using the elephants to stabilize that side while he tried to pull out of the mud. I don't think they were keeping it from overturning.

Never seen anything like this...odd for sure!

a reply to: AreUKiddingMe

The driver pulled over a little too far on the shoulder. Its been raining quite a bit here lately

Did you not see the diesel leaning in the second picture? Not to mention the elephants holding it up in the first?

Looks to me like he removed the elephants from the trailer in order to prevent them from shifting their weight and knocking it over. Would have been a much greater loses if the "performers" were injured.

He tried to get creative and have them push it back on the road. In my opinion, it doesn't look like those elephants were doing much of anything.

It just looks sensationalized to me, much like my thread about terahertz "sound".

S+F for originality!

a reply to: Cancerwarrior

Just because the trailer is leaning doesn't mean it's falling over. I looked at those pictures pretty close. I also drove truck and have a pretty good grasp on that kind of stuff. Never hauled elephants though!

a reply to: eisegesis

Looks to me like they removed the elephants from the trailer in order to prevent them from causing further damage by shifting their weight.

I was'nt starting this thread to sensationalize or speculate, its pretty clear by the police report that....

When deputies arrived on scene, they were astounded to find two elephants keeping the eighteen wheeler from overturning.

I just posted because I thought it would most certainly be a strange thing to see.

a reply to: Cancerwarrior

You posted it on ATS. You should know we're going to dissect it and analyze every pixel.... But seriously that is really interesting to see!

CNN is reporting this now. They are also saying the elephants were keeping the truck from overturning.

But what difference does it make? It's such a joy to see them at work, and as always, adorable.

a reply to: Cancerwarrior

I'm not going by the cops word, I'm going by the pictures. It doesn't look like any elephants are needed. Both would get crushed and one would have its have it's trunk shortened by that sign if it were to fall. Constant pressure would be needed to keep it from overturning if it was actually tipping over. Not necessarily what I see here. You would think he would try and keep them out of harms way. Ok, I'm done. Bye

I got to meet and play with a young elephant once, she was old enough to be adolescent.

They seem very bright for an animal. Curious, playful and sociable. I'm endlessly surprised you have to be rough with them to get them to do whatever, the one I met seemed really eager to play and check me out.

The elephants probably shifted the weight in the trailer to run it off the road. Later they intend to tromp their "handlers" and escape. The are tired of the life sentence for no just cause (except profit).

Go pachyderms.

a reply to: intrptr

The elephants probably shifted the weight in the trailer to run it off the road. Later they intend to tromp their "handlers" and escape. The are tired of the life sentence for no just cause (except profit).

LOL! I like the way you think.

a reply to: Cancerwarrior

I can't believe the naysayers stormed such a nice foo foo thread.

Whether or not the truck was in imminent danger it was obviously sinking in the soft mud. Seeing as how the elephants can weight up to six tons each they can easily prevent the truck from tipping farther. Better safe than sorry is what anyone concerned about expensive heavy equipment would say.

At least the cops didn't shoot the elephants.
I'm not sure how effective a pistol would be against an animal that size.
Elephants are no doubt highly intelligent and emotional creatures.