The only animal you’re likely to encounter on Union Street these days is a thieving seagull, but in 1985 a rampaging bull went berserk attacking a young mum and toddler.
Enid Caie, then 26, and her two-year-old daughter Michelle narrowly escaped death when they were tossed into the air and into the path of oncoming traffic.
The frenzied bull charged down the Granite Mile, crashing towards shoppers and smashing into shop windows.
It was April 5 1985 and an ordinary morning in Aberdeen city centre.
But things quickly descended into scenes of terror when the beast escaped the mart.
At this time, Union Street was Scotland’s busiest shopping street and it was packed with pedestrians and vehicles.
‘My bairn!’ screamed dad as escaped bull tossed toddler into air
The drama began just before 9am when the bullock escaped from Aberdeen and Northern Mart.
It set out on a two-mile run which ended in chaos in the heart of the city.
The wild beast left a trail of terror as it attacked shoppers, charged at a cyclist, butted cars and smashed a shop window.
By pure coincidence, Enid’s labourer husband Peter was working on scaffolding above Union Street and could only watch helplessly from above.
He desperately tried to raise the alarm before the animal approached Enid.
The 27-year-old dad screamed “My bairn! My bairn!” as the bullock sent his wife and child flying into the road.
He recognised Enid and Michelle just seconds before the black bullock bore down upon them beside Esslemont and Macintosh.
Two-year-old was knocked from buggy and into path of car
PC Jim Mitchell had been on points duty directing traffic at a busy junction nearby when the drama unfolded.
The raging bull knocked the young child into the path of a moving vehicle which stopped only two feet from the youngster.
He said: “The bullock butted the young mother pushing her baby in a buggy.
“The baby was knocked out of the pushchair and the bullock landed on it and completely flattened the pram.”
As the child tumbled on to the road, a moving vehicle slammed on its brakes and stopped only 2ft from the youngster.
Meanwhile, the bullock was lying in the road with the mother, who herself had been thrown about 2ft in the air.
Bull shattered window of Esslemont and Macintosh’s menswear department
The panicked animal then got to its feet and headed for its reflection in the window of E&M’s store.
Inside, George Angus and Ian Adams raced to lock the doors of E&M’s menswear department and held them as the bullock rammed the glass.
“It was pushing its head against the door and shaking it and then it shattered one of the windows at the side,” said Mr Angus.
“I think it got a fright when it smashed the glass as it stopped and lingered outside the shop for a while.
“It seemed to have been badly cut as there was blood all over the pavement.”
But the mayhem continued as the beast charged a cyclist, who leapt from his bike before it was smashed against a car.
Beast charged up Union Street pursued by policemen, stockmen and plucky pedestrians
One man was only saved from being gored by the charging creature by a metal bus stop.
The poor bull began charging pedestrians before ramming another car. Shoppers scattered in fear as traffic came to a halt.
At one point the bullock stood its ground in the middle of Union Street, frothing at the mouth and eyeing up clusters of onlookers who, understandably, kept their distance.
Its riotous route continued up towards Castle Street with policemen, workers from Aberdeen Mart and plucky passersby hot in pursuit.
Suddenly the bull stopped galloping, turned around and butted PC Charles Hogg in the stomach.
And when it reached Castle Street, it rammed another car before taxi driver Fred Karne launched himself at the animal.
Three modest heroes eventually ended reign of terror
Fellow cabbie George Robertson said: “He got it down and was wrestling the bull on the ground.
“There was blood everywhere. He was covered in mud and blood.”
Eventually, the drama was ended by three modest heroes.
Two stockmen from the mart risked their lives trying to rope the bull’s legs before PC Mitchell lassoed it around the neck and wrestled the half-tonne beast to the ground.
The stricken and sad animal bellowed in fear and pain as blood trickled around its hooves and its eyes rolled.
It was unceremoniously dragged into a trailer and taken back to the mart to be destroyed.
Michelle’s miraculous escape made headlines nationwide
Meanwhile, Enid, who had recovered enough to snatch Michelle from the road, accompanied her wee girl to the children’s hospital.
Both miraculously escaped with only minor injuries, the toddler was bruised at her mouth and on her forehead.
Speaking to the Evening Express at sick kids, a pale and shaking Michelle said: “I just didn’t see it. I was just going down the road and suddenly it was there.
“I turned and tried to run and it hit me on the back. I fell down and the pram was pushed into the road.
“When I got up I made a dive for Michelle – I was only worried about her.”
Husband Peter added: “I saw the whole thing happen and there was nothing I could do.”
Through sheer chance nobody was killed or injured, but Michelle’s miraculous escape made headlines up and down the country.
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