Runaway Sheep Boarded a Bus in Germany and Had To Be Escorted by Police

A runaway sheep in western Germany had an unusual journey home after it wandered into a bus depot and climbed aboard a parked local bus. The animal had escaped from its home in Lüdinghausen, a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, and eventually found its way to the depot operated by regional transport company RVM.

Rather than continuing its escape on foot, the sheep appeared to settle for public transport. According to police, the animal entered a bus one evening last week while employees were cleaning vehicles inside the depot's wash hall. A door had been left open for the cleaning operation, giving the wandering sheep an unexpected opportunity to climb aboard.

Workers later discovered the animal sitting comfortably between the seats. Police officers were called to deal with the unusual passenger. But getting the sheep off the bus proved less straightforward than expected.

The vehicle was already positioned to enter the bus wash. It also needed to pass through the facility before it could reach the outdoor area.

That left officers with an unusual problem: how to get the sheep out without allowing it to escape again.

Police Accompany Sheep Through the Bus Wash

The solution was almost as extraordinary as the original escape. The bus had to complete another trip through the washing facility, with the sheep still inside. Officers decided to accompany the animal during the journey.

Police rode along as the bus passed through the wash, ensuring the sheep remained safely inside until the vehicle emerged outside.

The unusual incident was confirmed by police and reported by German media. The animal was eventually handed back to its owner after reaching the outdoor area.

RVM said the sheep was one of several animals that had escaped. Only one, however, appears to have chosen a bus depot as its temporary destination.

There were no reports of injuries to the sheep, employees or police officers.

Portland Goats Did the Same Thing

The bizarre German incident came just days after two runaway goats caused their own public transport commotion in Portland, Oregon. The two pygmy goats wandered to a TriMet stop near Southeast 162nd Avenue and Division Street during the morning commute on 11 August.

Security footage showed them calmly following passengers onto an FX2-Division bus. The operator spotted the unexpected passengers and reopened the doors. A passenger helped usher the goats back outside before they wandered towards a nearby shopping centre.

Police searched for them but initially could not locate the animals. Their owner later identified the goats as seven-month-old brothers Billy the Kid and Billy the Goat, who had escaped from their backyard.

The incidents quickly became a source of amusement online.

'The goats left sheepishly...and when later questioned said "Well buses used to accept cash, but now it's all online or phone/swipe"!!!,' one viewer said.

'Making a cartoon movie called "Runaway",' someone wrote.

'Free loaders looking for a freebie so they don't have to use Uber,' another joked.

From goats attempting the morning commute in Oregon to a sheep travelling through a German bus wash, the episodes offered an unlikely reminder that public transport does not always attract human passengers.