Llamas and alpacas cause traffic jam on busy road in England

A group of llamas and alpacas brought the traffic to a standstill on a major road in Cumbria, North West England, as they broke free from a farm.

On Monday, at least 30 animals escaped from the farm store Basecamp North Lakes near Troutbeck in Cumbria. They ran towards the A66, a major road in Northern England, reported BBC.

The farm owner, Terry Barlow, claimed he ran out of the door after a customer buying sausages casually told him about the flight. His team blocked the route while guiding the animals back to their shelter.

The parent firm, Alpacaly Ever After, said a car left a gaping hole in the 7-foot fence at their locationand the farm animals escaped before they could detect this issue. Barlow said, "Once the alpacas and llamas spotted the hole, they were too nosey to run and explore.By the time we reached the road, about 30 of them were walking happily towards Penrith."

The farm's most confident llama was "in her element" and "introduced herself to every car," he added.

Rebecca Remmer and her husband encountered the runaway cattle en route to Appleby. They helped the shop personnel in corralling the llamas and alpacas. "That's something you don't see every day," Rebecca added.

However, Barlow's squad successfully returned the animals to their field before the authorities arrived, said the Cumbria police. They stated that they were not aware of any agricultural fence damage incident.

"I just want to say a massive thank you to everyone on the A66 who stopped their cars," Barlow said.

It is not the first time an animal has escaped its premises in Cumbria. There have been several other animal escape instances, including llamas, giant lizards and a gang of wild pigs.

In June, a Tegu lizard broke out of her cage in the Workington region. The owner of Pet Encounter Cumbria, Siobhan Harkness, claimed that the Tegu lizard, Echo, may last at visitors with her tail if startled. It belonged to one of the most intelligent lizard species and might be "hiding in plain sight." Indigenous to Central and South America, these lizards are a common pet in households because of their laid-back nature.

Last year, a trio of invasive wild pigs, who escaped from a farm close to Solway Holiday Park, grazed the fields of Cumbria for weeks.

(With inputs from agencies)