Here’s a story. Only in Brooklyn…

NEW YORK — Two dozen athletes have followed in the massive footsteps of an escaped circus elephant by putting on their trunks and retracing the bizarre swim it took more than 100 years ago.

In June 1904, an elephant named Fanny wandered away from a circus in the Coney Island section of Brooklyn and swam about 5 miles to the New Dorp neighborhood in Staten Island. The elephant was captured by fishermen, was called a vagrant on the police blotter and was returned to the circus by boat the next day.

On Sunday, 29 athletes retraced a mile portion of Fanny’s return trip by swimming from Fort Wadsworth in Staten Island to Bay Ridge in Brooklyn, organizers said.

The event, called Fanny’s Return, was held by the Coney Island Brighton Beach Open Water Swimmers.

The swim took place Sunday afternoon, when tide and current conditions were best, organizers said, and only strong swimmers were allowed to participate.

Swimmer Patrick Spearing said he was motivated by a challenge as big as, well, an elephant.

"It was satisfying to take on a major personal project like that," said Spearing, who finished the swim in 43 minutes.