Birmingham bull on the loose settles into Norfolk home

A bull found loose on the streets of Birmingham has begun to settle in to his new home at an animal sanctuary – 170 miles away.

The bull was seen roaming the streets of Digbeth on Friday morning before it was eventually ushered in to a former Dunelm store for safety.

Wendy Valentine, who runs the Hillside Animal Sanctuary in Frettenham, Norfolk, said she drove for several hours to pick up the bull and transfer it to its new home in the early hours of Saturday.

She said the animal would be able to live out the rest of his life with a herd “just doing what he wants”.

West Midlands Police said officers were made aware of a bull in the road and on a path near New Bond Street at about 09:30 BST on Friday.

In a Facebook post, Birminham City Council said it was “rapidly devising a plan to move this beautiful, albeit misplaced, animal to safety”, confirming it had been checked over by its animal welfare team.

The local authority said it was trying to identify the owner.

Ms Valentine said no one came forward to claim the animal so she negotiated with officials and “pulled every string” in order to get him.

She collected the animal from a yard on Friday night and transported him in a live stock trailer to her shelter, where he was unloaded at about 02:45 BST.

The young bull has been named Liam and will now live out its natural life with the sanctuary’s 750 other rescued cattle.

She said: “He’s settling in, but he must think, ‘Where am I?’

“He’s a bit stressed but he’s now in a barn and he’s safe, with big bales of straw around him. He’s eating OK.

“He will live out the rest of his days with us, with a herd, just doing what he wants.

“We will make sure he is checked over, he will be castrated, and then we’ll introduce him to a herd.

“It was so brilliant to have been able to have helped. We were so worried he might be shot, so we just pulled every string to get him.”

She believed he was about two years old and would live to be about 20.

“Every life saved is precious,” she added.

A video released by the sanctuary showed the bull munching hay in its new surroundings around a minute after its arrival.

Council staff efforts to keep the animal and the public safe won praise from councillor Majid Mahmood, Birmingham’s cabinet member for environment and transport, who wrote beside a picture of the bull on X: “This magnificent animal seemed to be enjoying an unexpected break, but our amazing street cleansing staff weren’t phased at all, helping moving it into a safe place.

“Well done to our animal welfare staff & park rangers.”

Footage of the bull amid city traffic went viral on social media on Friday, prompting jokes it may be heading towards Birmingham’s Bull Ring shopping area.