CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Sheriff's deputies near Antioch had their hands full Monday morning.
Two bulls were on the loose Monday morning in unincorporated Lake County between Antioch and Lake Villa, before police and the animals' owners from a nearby farm were able to corral them safely.
The bulls were spotted along Route 59 between Sunset and Columbia, where surprised drivers called 911 to report the wayward bovines.
Tony Gabriele was driving to work when he couldn't believe his eyes.
"I was driving northbound on Route 59 and I came up to Columbia Drive and there were two full-size bulls standing on the shoulder of the road. Their horns had to be at least 12 inches plus," he said.
Lake County Sheriff's deputies were dispatched. Their jobs were to keep an eye on the bulls, keep them out of trouble, and make sure if the bulls wandered into traffic that they and drivers were kept safe.
The deputies also made sure people didn't get too close to the bulls, which could charge people if they were startled and potentially gore them with their long horns.
Sergeant Christopher Covelli of the Lake County Sheriff's Department said it's not uncommon in that area for animals to escape from farms and wind up along roads or in residential areas.
He said another bull escaped last year and charged at deputies, who were tracking the animal. Covelli said that's why deputies don't try to corral loose bulls themselves, but simply keep track of them until the owners or the county's animal control department can safely capture them.