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Bison that eluded authorities for 8 months safely captured

Tyson the Bison has been caught after being on the run for eight months.

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The 1,300-pound female American buffalo, which escaped from a northeastern Illinois farm in September, was caught at the Lakewood Forest Preserve in Wauconda, according to a statement from Lake County Forest Preserves. Officials believe the animal settled into the preserve in early April, WLS-TV reported.

The animal was “safely and humanely” removed Wednesday by a professional wildlife specialist, according to the Chicago Tribune.

“We are thankful the animal has been removed from the forest preserve safely before Memorial Day weekend when attendance at preserves increases,” Mike Tully, chief operations officer for the Lake County Forest Preserves, said in a statement. “The safety of our users and the animal has been our No. 1 priority throughout this process. Bison are considered domestic livestock in Illinois, therefore roaming free in a public forest preserve is not an appropriate place for it to call home.”

The forest preserves brought in Matt Noble, owner of Loose Cattle Caught, on May 20 to assist in the capture of the animal, who has been alternately called Tyson the Bison and Billy the Bison, the Tribune reported. Noble and his crew, which included a drone, horse and dog, located the bison and lightly tranquilized it, according to the news release.

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The animal walked to a nearby barn after detecting the scent of food, and Noble was able to close the door. Noble then backed his trailer into the barn and loaded the bison into it, removing it to his compound.

The bison attracted national attention after she escaped on Sept. 18, the Tribune reported. Tyson and her sister were being delivered to Milk & Honey Farmstead in Wauconda for breeding purposes but managed to escape, according to the newspaper.

The American bison is the national mammal of the U.S. and is the largest mammal in North America. According to the Department of the Interior, bison can run up to 35 mph, jump high fences and swim.