Only in Texas! Cows and Bulls Escape Trailer, Cause Traffic Chaos on Houston Freeway
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03/24/2025 07:34 PM
"It's causing a traffic mess," one news anchor said of the situation
FOX 26 Houston/YouTube
Livestock escapes in TexasHouston, we have a problem!
A driver transporting cattle from the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo lost more than two dozen of their animals on I-45 North Freeway, leaving lanes closed for hours, Click 2 Houston reported Monday, March 24.
Thirty-one cows and bulls had escaped and were on the loose after a latch on the trailer they were traveling in opened, Harris County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) told the news station.
At least one cow was struck by a car during the incident, causing the vehicle to become overturned, Click 2 Houston and ABC 13 reported.
Related: Zebras Escape from Trailer, Run Loose in Washington Neighborhood
The unusual situation prompted many to share messages on social media.
Just after 11 a.m. local time, Sheriff Ed Gonzalez tweeted that HCSO's Livestock Unit had been dispatched and responded to the North Freeway with Precinct 4 deputies also assisting.
"Loose cattle were on the main lanes; 3 have been caught but as many as 30 may still be running loose in the area," he added.
The footage showed two black cows and one brown cow trotting together on the freeway as a driver and their passenger rolled down the window to film. "Aww, poor babies," a woman said, referring to the lost livestock.
A photographer with ABC 13 also shared a photo of one officer doing her best to wrangle a bull in the middle of traffic.
A reporter with the outlet used the news station's traffic cameras to get a better look at the action in real-time for viewers, which showed several officers attempting to use their vehicles as roadblocks to barricade one cow in.
Related: Suspected Lion on the Loose Near Berlin Forces German Police to Ask Residents to Stay Indoors
However, the livestock simply maneuvered between the cars and kept going.
"Now the cow's going off again," the reporter said, watching as the animal ran away from authorities.
Traffic accumulated in the opposite direction as drivers tried to get a glimpse of what was going on.
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"It's causing a traffic mess," an anchor with Fox 26 said live on air as footage played.
At 2:19 P.M. local time, Gonzalez tweeted, "All cattle are accounted for and secured."
