A “dangerous” bull, which escaped the meat plant on the Isle of Man and was “on the loose” in Douglas, has been shot dead by police, the force has confirmed.
The animal, which was due to be killed at the abbattoir, had become “extremely aggressive” and police were called for “assistance” at the facility but the bull escaped.
At about 11:00 BST on Tuesday, the animal entered some residential estates, passing near a primary school, before it was located at Douglas Rugby Club after about half an hour.
Supt. Steve Maddocks said: “We fully understand the public’s upset with an animal having been dispatched but there was no easy way to contain the bull.”
The bull had escaped the Isle of Man Meats plant [BBC]
“It had free rein to go anywhere,” he said, and “a number of shots were required” to kill the bull due to its size, before staff from the Isle of Man Meat Plant attended to remove the animal.
There were “no missed shots,” he said and the public were “not put in unnecessary danger” by the police.
The constabulary do not have the capability to tranquilise animals, and utilising a trained professional “was not a viable option for public safety reasons,” Supt Maddocks said.
The area was evacuated, safety procedures at the primary school were initiated, and roads were closed in the area as the animal was located, which had made its way to a carpark off Peel Road near Quarterbridge.
In a statement, Isle of Man Meats said: “Incidents of this nature are extremely rare,” and a “full internal review is now underway to determine how this occurred and to ensure that all appropriate measures are in place to prevent a re-ocurrence.”
“We remain committed to the highest standards of safety and animal welfare,” it added.
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