Off-duty Constable Chris Wakelin was surprised to see a steer in the middle of Drumclog St, Balclutha, and called the police station when the animal turned into Larnach St and began wandering towards children who had just got out of school.
"It was coming down the middle of the road towards the children coming out of Balclutha Primary School.
We got it on to the school grounds, where we tried to contain it, but it jumped the fence and ran off down Larnach St," he said.
The driver of a four-wheel-drive tried to herd the beast into a garden and keep it contained, but it got free again and headed towards the main road, Const Wakelin said.
Three police chased the animal for about 20 minutes, before it was herded on to the flood plain next to the Clutha River.
After it had a drink, stock control officers caught it.
