'It was so random': Bison crosses rush hour traffic west of Edmonton
It was not what Keira Boutilier expected to see on her way into Stony Plain to visit some friends.
Boutilier was driving east on Highway 16 near Highway 779 Wednesday evening around 5:30 p.m. when she had a close encounter with an animal on the loose.
"The people coming west, they're all like slowed down and I'm, like, just so confused," she said.
"And then I see this giant, like, buffalo bison thing. I thought it was a moose at first and then it started running into my lane."
She slowed down and pulled out her phone, capturing an eight second video of the animal running out of the median ditch, across three lanes, and into a field on the south side of the highway.
Boutilier said everyone slowed down until the animal left the highway, and it didn't appear that anything was damaged or anyone was injured.
"I was so confused. I didn't even realize there was bison close to here. It was so random. I've been driving at night and I've seen moose, but to see a bison, I'm like where did that come from?" Boutilier said with laugh.
Stray livestock in Alberta are the responsibility of the not-for-profit group Livestock Identification Services Ltd.
On Thursday, a spokesperson for that organization confirmed to CTV News Edmonton that "RCMP had three calls about the buffalo. They responded immediately and the buffalo were already back inside of the fence where they belong."
It wasn't clear how many animals escaped or for how long.
Wood Bison bulls can weigh up to 880 kilograms (about 1,900 lbs) and stand about 182 centimetres (6 feet), according to The Canadian Encyclopaedia.
Wood Bison cows can weigh up to 540 kilograms (about 1,200 lbs) and stand about 152 centimetres (5 feet).
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Rainfall warnings of up to 80 mm among weather alerts in effect for 6 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres and other alerts have been issued for six Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Bus plunges off a bridge in South Africa, killing 45 people. An 8-year-old child is only survivor
A bus carrying worshippers headed to an Easter festival plunged off a bridge on a mountain pass and burst into flames in South Africa on Thursday, killing at least 45 people, authorities said.
Calgary bridges remain closed due to ongoing police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.