Watch: Escaped rodeo steers run loose on Texas highway
The Harris County Sheriff's Office said a latch came undone on the door to the trailer, allowing six steers to run loose on the Interstate 45 North Freeway, near the Montgomery County line, just before noon on Monday.
The sheriff's office said the steers were on their way home to Barnum, Texas, after participating in the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.
"These particular cows are made for roping. They're meant to come out of a chute and take off running," Lt. Chris Adolph, head of the Harris County Sheriff's Office's livestock unit, told KPRC-TV.
The truck had been carrying 31 roping steers, but the driver was able to maintain control of all but six of the bovines.
Multiple lanes of traffic were closed while deputies attempted to wrangle the escaped animals.
Sheriff Ed Gonzales said on social media that all of the steers were "accounted for and secured" just before 4:30 p.m. local time.
Investigators said they were looking into whether the trailer had been properly secured before the latch came undone.
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