Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter Subscribe Oct. 2 (UPI) -- Police in Iowa said an escaped steer led officers on a three-hour pursuit in downtown Des Moines before giving them the slip and wandering loose for nearly an entire day. Des Moines police said officers chased the steer for three hours Monday night after it was first spotted about 9:55 p.m., and the chase was called off when the animal was seen heading into the riverbank near Birdland Marina about 1:20 a.m. Tuesday. Advertisement The steer resurfaced Tuesday night amid heavy rains and police said the bovine was running in and out of traffic and around homes, posing a danger to residents. Police said they had wanted to corral the steer, but the decision was made to shoot the animal for the protection of neighbors. "Couldn't let it continue with the risk of crashing a car, someone coming into contact with it," Des Moines police spokesman Sgt. Paul Parizek told the Des Moines Register. Police are still trying to identify the origins of the escaped steer. Read More Runaway cows visit brewery famous for Spotted Cow beer Butcher-bound yak on the run after Virginia escape Loose cow leads police on hours-long chase in Texas
