The first reports came in around 10:30 a.m. at Newark Penn Station.
Passengers on passing trains took photos and videos of the unusual sight.
"And I looked out the window and it was there, it was just kind of trotting down the track there," said Neptune resident Jason Monticelli. "I thought maybe it was a Red Bulls PR stunt or something like that, considering the stadium was right there. But yeah, he was just trotting along. We were just trying to figure out what where it came from."
Police responded to Frelinghuysen Avenue near Victoria Street before multiple agencies eventually found the animal and corralled it inside a fenced lot near Newark Liberty International Airport.
Newark officials said the 800-pound steer was tranquilized before he was taken to Skylands Animal Sanctuary and Rescue in Sussex County, where they named him Ricardo.
No injuries were reported throughout the incident.
Officials believe the steer escaped from a local slaughterhouse. They estimate he is about 1 years old.
NJ Transit said at one point there were delays of up to 45 minutes between Newark Penn Station and Penn Station New York due to the police activity.
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