CROSSVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Four bison, one weighing around 1,800 pounds, that escaped from a private hunting preserve in Tennessee were killed after attempts to recapture the animals failed, authorities said.
The small herd broke loose from an enclosed area and had been roaming through an area in Crossville since Monday, The Crossville Chronicle reported.
Cumberland County Sheriff Casey Cox said off-duty Deputy Roy Kemmer had attempted to help the owner round up the animals but the bison continued to evade recapture.
“(Kemmer) told me that the buffaloes would be grazing and as soon as those trying to recapture them got within 150 yards, the animals would smell their presence, raise their heads, and take off,” Cox said.
After the failed recapture attempts, the owner decided the animals should be killed in the interest of public safety.