More than 100 rogue cows have caused udder damage in an early morning disaster in Melbourne’s suburbs.
Shocked motorists saw cattle taking up an entire lane for the first time on Thursday as they raced along a main road towards Pakenham, five miles away, at around 3am.
The cows had previously escaped through the gate of a nearby farm on Tommuc Valley Road before splitting into groups.
“F***, someone left the gate open or something,” a motorist was heard saying in a video.
“They all go into the city, they’re worse than cyclists!”
Shocked locals woke up to find cows wandering around their driveways and front yards
At dawn the cows were still running around and had made themselves at home in the suburbs, causing bizarre scenes.
Some residents woke up to find the surprise visitors in the driveways, grazing on the lawn in their front yards.
Others saw the refugees wandering around residential areas along the sidewalk and taking refuge in parks.
Cows were even seen running away from police cars trying to round up the herd during the morning rush hour.
By 9am, the cows had been picked up by Victoria Police with the help of their owner and returned safely to their pasture.
The escapees made the 8 km journey to Pakenham within a few hours
The cows roamed the suburbs for hours before being rounded up
Their relieved owner saw the funny side.
“Some people want to stay on a farm, the cows wanted to stay in a suburb,” farmer Matt Robinson told 7NEWS.
He believed that something scared his animals, causing them to escape through the fence.
“They just knocked the stakes down,” Mr Robinson said.
Some cows felt at home on the residents’ front gardens