A bull that wandered onto the train tracks at Newark Penn Station in New Jersey caused travel delays for commuters traveling between New Jersey and New York City on Thursday. The bull, with ruddy brown fur and long, dark-tipped horns, prompted a police response and held up train traffic for nearly an hour. Newark Public Safety Director Fritz Fragé stated that the police received a call about the loose bull and worked alongside the Port Authority Police Department to locate and contain the animal. The bull was eventually moved to a fenced lot until a local animal sanctuary could retrieve it.
The incident led to delays of up to 45 minutes on NJ Transit rail services between Newark Penn Station and New York City. In response, NJ Transit cross-honored rail tickets and passes with the PATH train at Hoboken, Newark Penn Station, and 33rd Street in Manhattan. NJ Transit shared a photo of the bull on social media, informing passengers about the delays caused by the police activity.
By noon, it was announced that the bull was no longer on the tracks, and train services resumed, albeit with ongoing delays of 45 minutes. The circumstances surrounding the bull’s escape and its owner remain unclear.
This is not the first time a bull has been loose in Newark. In 2006, authorities took 10 hours to capture a roaming bull in the city, while two years prior, a steer escaped a slaughterhouse and roamed Newark before being captured and sent to a sanctuary. In a separate incident earlier this year, a cow was captured on surveillance video running through the streets of Brooklyn after escaping from a slaughterhouse.
Fortunately, no injuries were reported in Thursday’s incident. Newark police confirmed this and assured the public of their safety. The situation eventually resolved itself, but it left commuters dealing with significant delays throughout the day.
The bull’s unexpected appearance on the train tracks highlights the challenges faced by authorities in dealing with such incidents. It also serves as a reminder of the unpredictable nature of urban wildlife encounters.
