HOLLY (WWJ) - Rescuers are working to corral a massive, but timid male cattle spotted wandering in a wooded area in Holly recently, but how the animal got loose to begin with is causing a stir.
Gretchen Sommer, who runs Lucky Day Animal Rescue in Grand Blanc, told WXYZ that she has been trying to capture the shy two-ton steer for the last 14 days after she became aware that the animal was loose on nearly 70 acres of unfenced, heavily wooded private property near I-75.
Sommer said she was contacted by someone asking if she had lost one of her cows. When she confirmed none of her animals escaped, Sommer jumped in to help the lost cattle named Lester.
But after two weeks, frustration is mounting.
Sommer said she reached out to the Michigan Humane Society (MHS) and Oakland County Animal Control (OCAC) to assist in safely capturing the cattle, which she fears could be hit by a car or shot by someone who might think he's a threat, but no help has come.
"We have a two-ton plus animal running around. No one seems to be concerned," she told WXYZ.
How Lester even came to roam the area in the first place has been causing friction among animal rescuers.
According to Sommer, the steer, which is a male bovine that has been castrated, was originally part of a herd of five cattle cared for by The Devoted Barn, but were left behind when the rescue was evicted from their Rose Township property.
Sommer described the enclosure where Lester and the four other cows were kept during their time at The Devoted Barn as "dilapidated" and piled full of muck.
The MHS was in charge of moving the animals to a temporary home at the Abraham Ranch in Clarkston, when Lester broke loose.
According to Sommer, her offer to take the steer in at her rescue was denied by animal control, stating Lester still belonged to The Devoted Barn.
WXYZ reached out to Melissa Borden of The Devoted Barn, who said she was not aware the Lester was roaming free for six weeks until Wednesday. She urged the public not to fear the big animal, stating Lester won't cause harm.
"I screwed up and I will own that," Borden told WXYZ when asked why the cows were left behind. "When we went to catch the cows — I have three very social cows that are super friendly — we bottle fed them, their halter broke. And then we have five that are very, very fearful of people."
During the move off the property, Borden said the five cows became very stressed and loading them up was near impossible. Eventually, time ran out.
"I certainly did not want to leave five fearful animals that only trust us," she said. "They're a herd; they're a bonded herd. Never in a million years would I ever abandon them."
Borden said the MHS was supposed to capture and transport the animals to Abraham Ranch. Borden's plan was to then move Lester and the other cows to The Devoted Barn's new location as soon as possible.
But then Lester got loose and communication between rescuers and officials seemed to break down.
Michigan Humane and OCAC said they were involved in the cows' transportation process and were aware that Lester had escaped. The public was not informed about the loose steer because officials did not believe the animal had wandered off the property.
"At their request, Michigan Humane has been supporting Oakland County Animal Control to relocate five cows from the Devoted Barn property to our Center for Farm Animal Care at Abraham Ranch for housing and care," the MHS said in statement. " As part of that transfer process, one of the cows did break free and entered the wooded portion of the property at Abraham Ranch. Our team, in conjunction with OCAC, has been regularly searching the area for him since that point. The cow was spotted on private property last week in the area and at this time, OCAC is working with the cow's owner and the property owner on next steps for all 5 cows."
The OCAC acknowledged that there was confusion and perhaps a misunderstanding when it came to notifying The Devoted Barn about the loose animals.
Both animals officials and rescuers said they would be out in force on Friday to corral Lester and bring him safely home.