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After reportedly escaping onto Highway 29 twice in the span of three hours, a large cow was shot to death by Napa Police early Monday morning.

According to the California Highway Patrol, the animal was seen roaming free at about 1 a.m. on Highway 29 between Highway 121/Carneros Highway and Imola Avenue. Officers located the animal’s owner who was trying to move the cow from Highway 29 to a property west of Golden Gate Drive.

Three CHP units and four Napa police officers tried to a assist the owner, but were unsuccessful in corralling the loose animal, officials said. During the attempted capture, Napa police reportedly informed CHP that the cow had gotten loose several hours earlier, and had been safely caught.

As the animal continued to wander along the highway, disrupting traffic for almost two hours, CHP officers requested that Napa police retrieve a hunting rifle from one of their patrol cars. Once officers managed to direct the animal to a large dirt embankment, Napa officers shot and killed the cow, the CHP said.

According to the CHP, the owner of the animal then became upset and refused to tell officers how he would remove the cow’s remains — something the CHP said would be his responsibility. Caltrans was working to contact the owner later Monday.

Attempts to get more information from Napa Police on Monday afternoon were unsuccessful.