Billy, the wily bison that escaped a Wauconda farm and eluded capture for eight months, has finally been caught.
Lake County Forest Preserves announced that the 1,300-pound bovine was “safely and humanely” removed from Lakewood Forest Preserve in Wauconda early Wednesday morning by a professional wildlife specialist.
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“We are thankful the animal has been removed from the forest preserve safely before Memorial Day weekend when attendance at preserves increases,” Mike Tully, chief operations officer for the Lake County Forest Preserves, said in a news release. “The safety of our users and the animal has been our No. 1 priority throughout this process. Bison are considered domestic livestock in Illinois, therefore roaming free in a public forest preserve is not an appropriate place for it to call home.”
The forest preserves brought in Matt Noble, owner of Loose Cattle Caught, on Friday to assist in humanely capturing the bison, according to a news release.
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Noble deployed a crew of specialists, a drone, a horse and a dog in his attempt to locate the bison, which may have been living at the forest preserve since early April. Billy was located early this morning, and Noble lightly tranquilized her.
The tranquilizer, intended to make her slow down, did not endanger Billy or make her fall to the ground, according to the release. The bison slowly made her way to the barn for food, and Noble was able to close the door.
Noble was able to relocate the bison to his compound, and he is in the process of contacting the owners, the release said.
Billy became a local celebrity following her escape from captivity Sept. 18, while she and her sister were being delivered to Milk & Honey Farmstead in Wauconda. The two bison were purchased for breeding purposes.
Citizens posted photos and videos of Billy — who doesn’t yet have an official name — on Facebook, along with jokes, nicknames and statements of support. A local artist painted Billy’s portrait, and the Island Lake police posted video of an officer’s encounter with “our beloved Island Lake bison” who has proved “as elusive as Sasquatch.”
In recent months, her owners had been trying to lure Billy back to the farm with sweetened feed.
