Boston’s loose steer, not a bull, taken into custody in Roslindale, seeks forever home

This is not bull!

After catching a reprieve from the summer’s heat by hiding in the thick brush of Boston, “Moodini,” a young Hereford steer, has been taken into custody.

Moodini’s nearly two-month hangout in Roslindale came to an end when the MSPCA, Boston Animal Care and Control, and the Boston Parks Department, hauled him into a trailer, an effort officials called “complicated” because of the area the steer had gotten himself into.

Boston Animal Care and Control first learned about Moodini on June 22, when officials initially believed the animal to be a bull. The steer remained hidden in the thick brush until last Tuesday when animal control officers spotted him and installed a temporary pen to begin feeding him.

“We don’t often get calls about large animals loose in a city, and when we do, it’s usually for wild animals like a moose or a bear, maybe a horse that escaped from a fenced-in area,” said Kaycie McCarthy, equine and farm animal outreach and rescue manager at Nevins Farm in Methuen.

“So, this was new territory for us,” McCarthy added in a statement on Thursday.

Bringing Moodini into custody involved building a 300-foot-long chute using livestock panels to guide the steer into the trailer through the thick brush, McCarthy said.

“We’re lucky that someone from the Parks Department was there with a chainsaw because we had to clear some small trees to get our trailer into position,” she highlighted. “The whole process took about two-and-a-half hours and a dozen people. But almost all of that time was spent on the complex setup. Once we opened the steer’s pen, he took off up the chute and was in the trailer within minutes.”

Moodini has been taken to Nevins Farm where he needs to undergo state-mandated testing and some medical exams. But the MSPCA said it’s looking to start searching for potential adopters right away, with the ideal match having cattle experience, other cattle to keep the steer company, and a chute to best care for him.

“Moodini is a little thin, which isn’t surprising considering he’s been living in the woods in Boston for weeks,” McCarthy said. “He needs to gain at least 50 pounds, and we’ll work with him to get there, but we believe he’s healthy enough to be rehomed soon.”

Mike Keiley, MSPCA-Angell’s vice president of animal protection, said the adoption process will be “complicated due to a lack of necessary equipment.”

The organization needs a “squeeze chute,” equipment costing about $8,000 required for a “complete exam on cattle.”

“A squeeze chute is expensive … but it’s really important,” Keilley said, “and Moodini coming to the farm cemented our need.”

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