Cattle couple captured

The rogue bull forced the Monckton Reserve to be closed.

First it was a bull, then a cow but it turns out it was a couple.

A bull and cow have been reunited with their owner after spending a fortnight roaming the Monckton Reserve.

The Department of Conservation successfully removed the animals from the popular Central Hawke's Bay site after waiting the 14-day statutory period before taking action. The pair were removed late last week and returned to their owner, who was unaware they were missing.

DoC staff have repaired the damage done to the track by the animals and undertaken a general tidy up. The Monckton Reserve has now been re-opened to the public.

The Department's conservation services manager Dave Carlton said that the response and advice offered by neighbouring farmers had been very useful.

"This allowed a local farmer to remove a bull from the reserve, returning it to its owner. A DoC ranger then found a cow in the same vicinity which was also returned," Mr Carlton said.

The Department were pleased to have the animals removed without having to destroy them.