A bull wandering around the train tracks. /X (old Twitter)
A bull that suddenly appeared on a train track connecting New Jersey and New York City in the U.S. and attracted attention was eventually made into a souvenir plush toy. The railroad company plans to donate a portion of the profits to local animal groups.
New Jersey Transit, a transportation corporation in New Jersey, USA, announced on the 20th (local time) that it plans to release a plush toy of ‘Ricardo’, the bull that recently blocked a train track. The specific release date is January 3, and it is planned to be sold for $20 (about 26,000 won) each on the official website.
The ‘train station bull commotion’ occurred on the train tracks at Penn Station in Newark, New Jersey, around 10:30 a.m. on the 14th. A bull from a nearby slaughterhouse escaped, reached the train station, and wandered around in the middle of the train tracks. No one was injured in the commotion, but train service was delayed for about 45 minutes. Afterwards, the bull was captured by the police and taken to an animal shelter in New Jersey, where he was given the name ‘Ricardo’.
At the time, the image of a bull wandering around the tracks was filmed and spread on social media, garnering so much attention that it was reported simultaneously on BBC and CNN and in the daily New York Times (NTY). In particular, the Washington Post (WP) highlighted this incident in detail with the title, ‘How a bull escaped from a slaughterhouse and changed its own fate.’
A bull plush toy recently released by Korea Transportation Corporation. It is scheduled to be officially sold starting January 3 next year. /A bull roaming the New Jersey Transit train tracks. /X
When asked why a bull on a track could attract so much attention, David Wilder, a psychology professor at Rutgers University, said, “I think the bull resonated a lot because many of us think of ourselves as weak,” and added, “It’s a kind of universality.” “It stimulated this,” he told WP. At the same time, he said, “Hero myths spread throughout all civilizations, and Ricardo, who escaped from the slaughterhouse and overcame difficulties, had a significant narrative.”
If you look at the Ricardo bull doll produced by Korea Transportation Corporation this time, it looks quite similar to the one captured on the tracks. It has white horns on its yellow body. The Korea Transportation Corporation logo with an ‘N’ is clearly engraved on the scarf around the neck.
New Jersey Transit said, “We are honored to introduce a plush toy named after the bull that has captured the attention of not only New Jersey but also the entire country,” and added, “Part of the proceeds will be used for the animal shelter where Ricardo was sent.”
Meanwhile, Ricardo is still recovering at the animal shelter, and when he is fully healed, he plans to be sent to a 1,200-pyeong cage where about 450 animals live together.
‘Ricardo’, a bull who was captured at a train station and sent to an animal shelter in New Jersey, is eating hay. /Skyland Animal Shelter
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2023-12-21 01:08:00
