FORT FAIRFIELD, Maine — Five bison remain on the run Tuesday after six of them escaped from a fenced pasture at a Fort Fairfield farm on the Presque Isle Road on Friday.
Police are warning people to be cautious.
This is the second time this year and the third time since 2022 that bison owned by Craig Smith have escaped and prompted a police search.
“These animals are large, fast and unpredictable. Please do not approach them,” Fort Fairfield Police Chief Matthew Cummings said.
Police first began assisting Smith after he reported six bison were missing. Smith captured and brought home one bison, but is still searching for the remaining five, Cummings said.
The bison have been seen multiple times in several agricultural fields on the outskirts of the town, he said in a social media post Monday night.
In February, three of Smith’s bison were rounded up after wandering along the Presque Isle Road, also known as Route 167, capturing the attention of local drivers.
A year ago, 10 bison from Smith’s farm were caught on camera at Quoggy Jo Ski Center. A vehicle struck and killed one bison before police and volunteers rounded up the rest of them.
