Escaped buffalo run rampant in Sydney after escaping from film set
A KOREAN television commercial sent authorities into a spin tafter two water buffalo escaped the set and charged through Newtown.
AUTHORITIES are investigating how two water buffalo starring in a Korean TV advertisement being filmed in Sydney escaped their handlers and ran more than 2.5 kilometres down some of the inner city’s busiest streets.
The adult animals, who obviously had artistic differences with the commerical’s director, made a break for it from Sydney Park at St Peters before finding themselves on trendy King Street at Newtown.
Traffic was forced to make way for the roaming pair while pedestrians huddled up against shopfronts as the film crew tried to steer the beasts to safety.
The City Of Sydney, who gave the production company a permit to film in the park, said it will be examining whether they had proper safeguards in place.
A City spokeswoman said the council was assured by the film makers that there would be two experienced stock handlers, from an animal wrangling company with more than 25 years’ experience, on the set at all times.
“The company also advised that the two water buffalo were both halter and lead-trained and on the day of the shoot would be entirely enclosed with mobile fencing, or securely tethered.
“The City is investigating the incident and whether the filmmakers had the appropriate safeguards in place.”
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The spokeswoman could not confirm if the production company faces a fine.
Police said they will not be taking the matter further.
After the animals ran north down King Street, a passing fire engine from the Newtown Fire and Rescue station saw the buffalo run past into the intersection with Missenden Road, not far from Sydney University, and gave chase.
Station commander Brad Black said he could not believe his eyes when he saw the animals “come skidding around the corner followed by a few blokes on a trailer”.
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There were people pointing and screaming and all sorts of stuff. The buffalo were darting in and out of the traffic. 
“It took a good few seconds to realise what was going on and we thought we’d better give them some help.
“All the boys thought that they were dreaming at the start. At first we thought they had been trained to do what they were doing. Everything looked calm and normal, then it twigged that they were on the loose.
“They travelled all the way up King Street without hurting anybody.
“There were people pointing and screaming and all sorts of stuff. The buffalo were darting in and out of the traffic.
“I’ve seen a lot of strange things in Newtown, but never water buffalo.
“Maybe they were on the Red Bull,” Station Officer Black said.
From Missenden Road, the pair of escapees trotted along Carillion Avenue, on the eastern side of the university.
The animal’s handlers, with the help of a black dune buggy used for carrying camera equipment, and were eventually able to herd the buffalo into the garden of the Vice Principal’s residence at the university’s Moore Theological College.
The fire officers used ladders and steel frames to help keep the animals from running back onto Carillon Avenue while they waited for a pick-up truck and trailer to arrive to load the animals on board.
Talitha Salier, a resident of the College, was forced to watch the drama from the first floor veranda of the residence with her mother Sue.
“We had been out to get some coffee and when we came back we saw the fire truck and we thought the place was on fire.
“Then we saw the buffalo in the garden.
“They were just chilling out in the shade, waiting” Talitha said.
The student’s mother said she got a shock when she saw the animals.
“They’ve made a mess of my azaleas I can tell you,” Sue Salier said.
Handlers were forced to enter the garden and lasso the animals before dragging them onto the trailer.
“One of the buffaloes got a bit agitated,” Talitha said.
“It charged at the guy a couple of times before he got the rope over its head.”
Another witness, student Brendan Pryke said it was the most bizarre scenes he had ever witnessed.
“I came outside and saw these two buffalo just jogging along the road. You see some weird things in Newtown, but this?”
It is understood the animals were being used in an advertisement for Samsung TV in Sydney Park. There were oversized ten pin bowling pins at the site this morning.
When asked for comment, the Korean crew refused to talk to the media.
Once the animals were aboard the trailer the crew drove off.
Australian members of the crew said they could not comment either.
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