A bull escaped from a livestock auction in Virginia and ran loose for over an hour before being tranquilized by a veterinarian and captured.

March 27 (UPI) -- A bull escaped from a livestock auction in Virginia and ran loose for over an hour before being tranquilized by a veterinarian.

The Harrisonburg Police Department issued an alert on social media Thursday warning local residents that a bill was on the loose near Eastern Mennonite University after escaping from a nearby livestock auction.

"If you come across the bull, please do not approach it or try to capture it yourself. These animals are large, quick and can be very dangerous," the post said.

The capture attempt involved Harrisonburg Animal Care & Control, Rockingham County Animal Control, Harrisonburg Parks and Recreation, Harrisonburg Police Department, local farmers and a local veterinarian.

Police updated the post at 1:45 p.m. Thursday to say the bull had been tranquilized by a veterinarian and would be transported back to its owner.

"We would like to thank the community for staying inside and keeping us updated on sightings during the incident," officials wrote.