ESCAPE FROM THE ZOO G2sr02

 2. ESCAPE FROM THE ZOO

"This is Radio Two. This is the one o'clock news. A she-wolf escaped from the Dorford Zoo this morning and is believed to be still at large in the Dorford area. If hungry the wolf might be dangerous. If anyone sees this animal, please inform the nearest police-station.

Football: In the match between ..."

Mrs Clarke switched the radio off: she was not interested in football and she wanted to make her midday lunch before her baby woke up. She pushed the pram into the garden, left it under a tree out of the sun and went into the kitchen.

Ten minutes later she came to the back door to see if everything was all right. A big dog was standing by the pram looking at the baby. "That's the Johnson's dog. I've told them they ought to keep that great animal in their own garden. Those dogs are a bit too much like wolves." Then Mrs Clarke went cold. "Wolves. What have I heard about wolves?" She was sure she had heard something about an escaped wolf on the radio. She looked hard at the creature by the pram—and the more she looked the more certain she became. It wasn't the dog from next door. Like it, but different. It was as big as the dog, but the colour was greyer and it looked thinner.

At this moment the creature put its front legs on the side of the pram and leant over the sleeping baby, licking its face. The baby woke up and began to cry quietly.

Mrs Clarke wanted to scream, but she knew it would be wrong to do that. What should she do?" Inform the police, "the radio had said. But that meant leaving the garden and going to the telephone near the front door. She was sure that somehow she must get the wolf away from the pram. Then she remembered the piece of meat she had bought. It was on the kitchen table.

Very quietly she slipped into the kitchen and came back with the meat. The wolf was still standing over the pram licking the baby's face. The garden wasn't a very large one, but she threw the piece of meat into a corner under a tree well away from the pram. As the meat hit the ground the wolf looked round. It hesitated for a moment, then left the pram and walked slowly across to the meat and began to eat it.

Would she be able to reach the baby without the creature hearing her? It was sure to hear her if she made any sound. Mrs Clarke moved silently round to the pram. Almost afraid to breathe, she picked up the baby and ran for the kitchen door. Shutting it behind her, she sank down into a chair, sobbing with relief and holding the baby to her. After a while she remembered that children would soon be coming down the road on their way back to school. Some of them might get hurt. So she stopped crying and telephoned the police. "Stay where you are," she was told. "We'll be right round."

"The sooner the better," thought Mrs Clarke.

When the police arrived she told them what had happened, and took them to the kitchen window. "There it is," she said, "over there, under that tree in the corner." The wolf was lying on the grass still eating the piece of meat.

"You did well, Madam," said the sergeant. "I'm glad you called us. Very brave of you to do what you did, I'm sure. We've sent for a man from the zoo and he should be here in a minute. It was lucky you heard the broadcast. The creature looks quiet enough for the moment, so I think we'll leave it until the man comes."

Five minutes later the door-bell rang. "Here they are now," said the sergeant. Two men from the Dorford Zoo had arrived with a net and a small cage. Before long the wolf was safely in the cage, the rest of the meat still in its mouth.

"There goes your dinner, I'm afraid," said the man from the zoo. "But better that than ..."He saw the look on Mrs Clarke's face and stopped.

"Well, we'll be getting along. Thank you, Madam, for your help. I'm sorry you've been troubled. We'll see it doesn't get away again."