Rooster captured after a month on the loose in Illinois

Feb. 23 (UPI) -- Animal rescuers in Illinois said they have finally managed to corral a loose rooster that managed to evade capture for more than a month.

The Quad Cities Animal Recovery Team said the rooster managed to dodge its would-be captors for more than a month in the Olde Towne neighborhood of Moline until he was snared in a net Thursday morning.

Taylor McMullen, a former animal control officer and co-founder of the animal recovery team, led a team of rescuers in the capture Thursday.

"I've actually captured roosters before," McMullen told WQAD-TV.

She said the rooster, which she dubbed Foghorn Leghorn, used his short-range flying skills to try to evade capture.

"They can only glide about 15 to 20 feet at a time," McMullen said.

McMullen said the rooster's short flight took him between a neighbor's house and a tree, leaving him cornered.

She said she was surprised by the rooster's tameness after the capture.

"He's actually really calm and friendly," McMullen said. "I brought him in and fed him some tomatoes and he chowed down."

She said the rooster's origins are unknown, but he was likely an escaped pet whose owner hasn't come forward due to the city's backyard chicken ordinance banning roosters.

McMullen said he was taken to a foster home.

"The fosters have a farm, so if no one comes to claim him, he can stay there," she said. "He'll be much happier than running around in the cold and snow."