It was right as rush hour was starting on Tuesday morning when two suspects escaped from their locked compound by breaking through a fence. One of them, known for his poor temper and tendency to charge anyone who approaches him, led an accomplice through a field and then to the main road.

This wasn’t their first break for freedom, York Regional Police said. They’re known repeat offenders, and three officers rushed to the scene in an attempt to contain the pair as they disrupted traffic on King Vaughan Rd. in Kipling by carelessly walking into oncoming cars.

Damian, the “cow with the horns,” and several accomplices snagged traffic for the better part of an hour after Damian apparently led the group off their farm by breaking through a fence on the south side, according to police.

It took the officers, who police said did not have wrangling training, the better part of an hour to safely corral the cows and convince them to return to their green pasture, about which “Damian is less than pleased.”

The entire event, which was live-Tweeted on York Regional Police account, garnered dozens of favourites and retweets and the hashtag, #YRPGoneWild, even briefly trended in Canada.

“Udderly unacceptable,” was one YRP update.

It’s unclear if Damian and friends were inspired by a lone bovine freedom-seeker who had broken free and trotted along several roads in Milton earlier Tuesday morning. The solo cow appeared to have more advanced stealth skills than Damian and crew, through, because it had disappeared by the time Halton police arrived on scene.

York Regional Police Const. Andy Pattenden said animal-related calls are quite common in York region because of the mix of urban and rural right beside each other. Within the past few months, police have had to deal with donkeys, bulls, horses, turkeys and the odd black bear.

Police do their best to alert drivers about any furry or winged hazards on the roads to avoid traffic accidents and then usually improvise a way to get the animals to safety, Pattenden said.