This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.

MADERA COUNTY —

A white pony outfitted as a unicorn for a kids birthday party led CHP officers on a chase Wednesday night as it darted in and out of traffic for several hours on a busy roadway.

The CHP says the pony escaped about 2:30 p.m. but was recaptured shortly after, KMPH reported on Thursday.

However, the pony escaped the grasp of another child about 5:30 p.m. and ran out into the road. It was seen running on several roadways in the area, but evaded capture. The CHP finally had to use its helicopter and a heat-seeking radar to locate the pony.

A nearby resident who had another horse on her property helped officers capture the pony.

The CHP said some motorists were hesitant to report the pony with a pink halter and horn in the roadway as a unicorn because they couldn’t believe their own eyes. But others were quite certain they had seen the mythical creature.

The CHP said while the story ended happily, it could have been tragic had the pony been hit by a car.

37.251926 -119.696268