THE arrival of the sculpture of Rosie the elephant at Kidlington revived memories of Oxford Zoo’s most famous story – the escape of three dangerous wolves.

Rosie was the star attraction at the zoo which, in the 1930s, occupied the site now housing Thames Valley Police headquarters and part of the Cromwell Way estate.

But it was the escape of three 14-month-old Siberian wolves, causing panic among families, which captured the headlines.

Two were quickly shot dead but the third vanished and eluded a large team of keepers, police and members of the public for three days.

It was finally cornered and shot in the grounds of Harefield House, Summertown, by Oxford Mail photographer J R V (Johnny) Johnson.

Soon after the escape, one animal was seen in a garden off the Northern Bypass. It jumped a fence and was killed by Inspector Barnett, of Oxford police, with the first shot of his rifle.

The second was shot at Hampton Poyle later the same day. Farmer Mr A J Collett found the wolf worrying his sheep and his son Robert, 23, killed it with his shotgun.

The third wolf proved to be elusive. After one report that it had been seen near Kidlington, the posse chased the animal for two miles and fired shots near Thrupp.

Everyone started rejoicing but triumph turned to despair when the animal was found to be a dog.

There were several more sightings and false alarms before 13 sheep were found badly mutilated at Mr A B Kerwood’s farm near North Oxford golf club, about a mile from the zoo.

After hearing that the wolf was near the bypass, photographer Mr Johnson tried to head it back towards the main search party.

He said: “I brandished my shotgun in the face of a passing cyclist, said ‘Lend me your bike, chum’ and before he could answer yes or no, I was off on it in pursuit of the wolf.

“Some children were shouting ‘There’s the wolf, there’s the wolf’ and I saw her by the side of a garden fence. She came quite close, offering a splendid target. I dropped her from about 30 yards.”

The zoo opened in July 1931. Animals given by the London, Berlin, Bristol and Dublin zoos included a camel, lion, jackal, monkeys, kangaroos, llamas, bears, rabbits, guinea pigs and many birds and fish.

On the first Sunday, it attracted more than 2,000 people. Admission was sixpence for adults and threepence for children and special buses were laid on from Oxford.

The zoo closed in 1937 and the whole collection was moved to Dudley Zoo.

Many Oxford Mail readers remembered Rosie the elephant, now immortalised by sculptor Tony Davies on Kidlington roundabout.

Some remembered having rides on her back, with one adding: “Her keeper would give her a mouth organ and she would play it.”