It’s Forrest Hump! Runaway camel causes chaos after breaking free from live drive-thru nativity and running around a golf course chased by cops in a buggy
- The camel broke free from the National Agricultural Center on Saturday night
- She was part of a nativity play being performed in Bonner Springs, Kansas
- She roamed the streets all night before being spotted at a golf course on Sunday
- Police and animal control gave chase in golf carts but couldn’t catch the camel
- She was spotted in several neighborhoods and even on the highway on Sunday
- Animal control only managed to catch her with a lasso on Sunday afternoon
Police in Kansas spent the weekend in pursuit of an escapee who managed to evade officers on foot for almost 24 hours.
An Arabian camel, lovingly dubbed ‘Forrest Hump’ by locals in Bonner Springs, Kansas, broke free from the National Agricultural Center and Hall of Fame during a live, drive-thru nativity scene on Saturday night.
She roamed the streets of Bonner Springs all night, before police and animal control officers were called to a sighting of the runaway at Sunflower Hills Golf Course on Sunday morning.
Officers jumped into golf carts to give chase, but were blown away by the escapee’s incredible speed as she hared off at 40mph.
Having left law enforcement trailing in her wake, she went on a tour of the town, strolling through several neighbourhoods and even taking a trot along the K-7 highway.
She was only caught later that afternoon when police and animal control officers swapped the taser and handcuffs for a good old-fashioned lasso.
The camel was spotted at several locations around Bonner Springs on Sunday, and even went for a trot along the highway
The camel took a stroll through several neighborhoods and went for a walk around the Sunflower Hills Golf Course before managing to evade police officers pursuing in golf carts
Stunned residents of Bonner Springs, Kansas could hardly believe their eyes on Sunday when they saw the huge camel roaming around the streets of their hometown
Bonner Springs Police Department took to Facebook on Sunday evening after having corralled the camel to share the tale of their weekend escapade with delighted members of the public.
‘Officers and Animal Control spent the entire day chasing down a loose camel. This morning, officers took to the golf courses in pursuit of the camel (on golf carts no less),’ the post read.
‘Later, it took a leisurely jaunt down K-7 Highway and into some neighborhoods. Officers and Animal Control were finally able to catch up to the camel in the 600 block of North Nettleton Avenue where it was safely ‘taken into custody’ by lasso!’
In another post on Monday, the police also joked ‘now we know camels can run 40mph!’.
‘The camel was reunited with its owners and will go back to doing camel things’, Bonner Springs Police Department wrote on Facebook
The post was met with a torrent of comments from amused locals who shred their own wisecracks on the weekend pursuit.
One user responded: ‘Then one day, Forrest Hump just started running…’
Another chimed in: ‘Too bad this didn’t happen on a Wednesday!’
The Bonner Springs Police Department admin even hung around to respond to several of the comments.
One user commented: ‘I can hear the conversation now – “uh police- there is a camel running loose”. Police- “how much have you had to drink today.”
But the PD came straight back with: ‘We were thinking more bad acid trip, but samey same.’
Police and animal control managed to return the camel to her owners on Sunday afternoon after her near-24-hour bid for freedom.
Police said she had sustained some minor cuts and abrasions on the front of her legs as a result of fences and barbed wire, but was largely unhurt and returned safe and healthy after the pursuit.