'Wild ride': 8th bull that escaped rodeo in Massachusetts caught after thrilling chase

The last of the eight bulls that escaped from their pen during a rodeo event at a mall in Massachusetts has been captured.

The remaining bull was caught in North Attleboro, not far from the Emerald Square Mall from where the group escaped, after being on the loose for more than a day, the North Attleboro Fire Department said in a post around 8:45 p.m. Monday night. It was corralled and led into a trailer on U.S. Highway 1, but not before a thrilling chase ensued, WBZ News reported, adding that cruisers followed the bull as it galloped through different stores and across Route 1. The animal was eventually corralled into a trailer with the help of local and state authorities, including the Massachusetts State Police Air Wing, and cowboys with a local rodeo, the fire department said.

The bull was "happy to be back with his brothers," New England Rodeo, who assisted in the rescue, said on Facebook, adding there "was grain, hay and water waiting" for the bull in the trailer.

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'Wild ride'

Samantha Beckman of Wandering Paws K9, a missing pet search team, told NBC10 she and Sam Aromin first spotted the missing animal behind a nearby Lowes, using thermal drones.

“It was a wild goose chase. It was very, very intense,” Aromin told NBC10, adding the bull was moving at "20 miles-an-hour.”

Beckham told NBC10 that though it was "a really wild night,” she is glad the bull and people are safe.

How did the bulls escape?

Around 12:30 p.m. Sunday morning, eight bulls escaped from their pen during a rodeo event at the Emerald Square Mall in Attleboro, about 40 miles south of Boston, close to the Rhode Island border.

"The eight bulls managed to escape their pens, run through the parking lot and jump over a fence surrounding the event’s perimeter," the news release said. "The bulls then fled south from the parking lot towards the woods behind BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse."

Video footage of the incident showed the bulls charging through a parking lot and jumping over a fence before making their way towards a busy road.

Authorities continue to investigate how the bulls managed to escape their pen. No injuries were reported.

Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@gannett.com and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.