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Over 100 bison escaped from a Nebraska feedlot earlier this week, leading to a surreal chase to round them up.  In an ironic twist, the bison were being "fattened up" prior to being slaughtered, so their escape contains some dramatic pathos. 

The Overton feedlot then brought in an anonymous company skilled in the handling of bison.  Bison pandemonium ensued. 

Officials say that at one point there were so many people out trying to round them up that the bison defensively split into groups of two or three, further complicating efforts to find them all.  

Townspeople volunteered to help find the bison, and were able to find and contain 50.  The company itself was able to secure 25, but that left a handful unaccounted for.  Some of them managed to hide themselves in a field of tall corn. Five of the animals were struck and killed by vehicles on roads.  At one point the sheriff, probably pretty stressed out by then, asked people to please "not grab firearms and take action."  Nevertheless, one bison did die after being shot by a local.

Officials are now saying they have nearly all of the bison rounded up, but there are still a few out there.  And though we certainly would not want any Nebraska feedlots to lose any money, there's a part of us that is rooting for those few remaining bison.  Because those brave symbols of American Empire would do well remember the words of Revolutionary War General John Stark: "live free or die."

Witness a few glorious moments of bison freedom below: