MASTIC, N.Y. (AP) 鈥� An escaped bull has eluded capture for several days on Long Island despite searchers employing a helicopter and night-vision equipment along with attempts to lure the roaming animal with grain and a cow.
Police in Suffolk County say they began responding to calls about the 1,500-pound (680-kilogram) bull running loose Tuesday morning after it broke through the fence of a local farm. , since nicknamed Barney, walking across fields, roads and suburban front yards. And it briefly shut down a portion of Sunrise Highway.
Teams have searched the area about 50 miles (80 kilometers) east of New York City on foot and on horseback. They've used drones. A 鈥渂ull trap鈥� baited with the same feed Barney eats on the farm did not work, nor did other would-be traps.
鈥淲e鈥檝e tried luring him with a cow, with horses,鈥� Frankie Floridia of Strong Island Animal Rescue . 鈥淚鈥檓 out here with a (tranquilizer gun), looking for him, and I鈥檓 thinking, 鈥業鈥檓 hunting cows in an Indiana Jones movie.鈥� It鈥檚 just frustrating. The longer it goes, you wonder what happens.鈥�
The bull is roaming around a part of Long Island that features dense underbrush and pine barrens. Floridia said the dense vegetation has hindered the search.
Rescuers said they hope to have the bull moved to a sanctuary.
鈥淚鈥檓 not afraid of him being aggressive to humans,鈥� Floridia said. 鈥淗e doesn鈥檛 have horns, he鈥檚 not an aggressive animal. I think he鈥檚 going to see people and he鈥檚 going to run away. I鈥檓 just afraid, with the color of his coat, he鈥檚 going to wander into a road in the dark and some driver won鈥檛 see him.鈥�
The Associated Press
