Two circus elephants risked freezing to death in Siberia, in Russia, until their caretaker found a way to keep them warm. He administered the large animals massive amounts of vodka, and managed to save them.
After drinking 10 diluted liters (2.6 gallons) of vodka, the elephants suffered only minor frostbites, on the tips of their ears.
Madga and Jenny went through hell before being provided a warm place to shelter themselves from the Siberian cold.
The animals performed in a traveling Polish circus, and were forced outside when their trailer burned down. It caught fire as a diesel engine heated up, and the cargo was engulfed by flames.
They were stranded in the middle of a Siberian highway, near the city of Novosibirsk. As transportation for the enormous mammals is not easy to come by, they had to face harsh winds and extreme temperatures.
The incident occurred on Wednesday, December 12. The circus was traveling from the Russian city of Novokuznetsk to Omsk, a large distance which can take at least 14 hours to drive. -40C (-104F) were registered in the area that day, according to the Daily Mail.
Trainer Leonid Labo came up with the solution of mixing vodka with water and having them drink it. However, he had to be treated for frostbites at the local hospital.
Emergency minister spokesman Alexander Davydov states that the elephants were brought to a heated gym in a local college. The 45 and 48-year-old animals made it through almost unscathed.
Zoo director Rostislav Shilo explains there was a possibility for them to catch pneumonia due to exposure to the cold. Instead, they ended up feeling very entertained by the unfortunate incident.
“They roared like it was the jungle…They must have been happy,” a district official describes.