Video shows cowboy steering strolling cow on I-75 in Holly to safety

A cow made a brief escape from a Holly farm Sunday afternoon and ended up on a leisurely stroll on Interstate 75, forcing a brief closure, before she was safely steered back home by, who else? A cowboy.

The incident occurred around 2:50 p.m. when state police troopers were requested for traffic control along I-75 near Belford Road after a runaway cow managed to escape and run onto the freeway.

"A team of wranglers comprised of men and women comparable to the cast of Yellowstone attempted to wrangle a cow that was stuck in a gravel pit on Belford Road," MSP tweeted Monday. "Troopers stayed on standby to stop traffic on I-75 if necessary."

The wranglers were on the shoulder of I-75 with horses and four-wheelers when they attempted to capture the suspect bovine but were unsuccessful in their attempts, authorities said.

"The cow managed to outsmart its advisories, and entered the northbound lanes of I-75," MSP said. "The wranglers chased the cow with four-wheelers, horses, and lassos across all lanes of travel. Troopers shut down north and southbound lanes of I-75 for safety."

Eventually, after much tomfoolery, the cow was captured and removed from the freeway. Troopers reopened the freeway and things quickly got back to normal, MSP said.

"The bovine was not charged and is back in the pasture with a story to tell all the other livestock," authorities said.

In a video captured by MSP dashcam, the ATV rider and cowboy attempt to capture the cow on the shoulder of the right lane, but soon enough, the cow dashes into oncoming traffic on I-75.

The cowboy can be seen twirling his lasso and successfully ranging the cow before it crossed over the median.

The cow apparently jumped over a low-lying guardrail and meandered over to the freeway near Grange Hall Road, Michigan Department of Transportation officials said.

"It's quite a unique thing," said Diane Cross, MDOT spokeswoman. "How that cow didn't get hit, thank goodness."

It's not the first cow to moo-ve around lately.

Last week, a steer was seen wandering on nearly 70 acres of unfenced, private property near I-75 and got close enough to the freeway for drivers to spot him. That was just 2 miles north of where the cow was spotted Sunday.

It's unknown if it's the same cow, but Cross said that the wayward cow made it safely back to the Holly farm it belonged to.

Last month, a runaway bull was killed by Grosse Ile police after the bull romped through neighborhoods on the island in Wayne County.

For seven hours, six police officers, two animal control officials, a veterinarian, several firefighters and residents tried to contain it but attempts to use fencing, a portable round pen and roping were unsuccessful. One of the animal control officers suffered a minor injury.

A Grosse Ile Township ordinance prohibits exotic or wild animals that pose "a threat or danger to the public health, welfare, or safety if such animal was able to run loose."

"The bull, which was demonstrating unpredictable behaviors, was exposed to children, drivers and domesticated animals as it ran through yards, onto patios and across roadways," Grosse Ile officials said. The owner gave permission to shoot the animal, a move by authorities that angered some island residents.

srahal@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @SarahRahal_