Authorities received reports that Ram's V8 bucking mechanical bull was stolen; however, those claims may not have been true.

According to the Oakland County Sheriff's Office, the $34,000 mechanical bull was reported stolen on Aug. 9 from the annual Roadkill Nights event in Pontiac, Michigan. But an investigation revealed that the item was in the possession of someone from the company that operates the item.

It is unknown if it was a publicity stunt or if the company was unaware that an employee had it.

The sheriff's office said that a police report was filed after the bull was allegedly stolen.

"The company never actually lost the bull," Sheriff Mike Bouchard said in a statement. "I find this to be very frustrating and a tremendous waste of valuable investigative time. Now, we're pivoting to see if a crime was committed by the filing of a false police report."  

On Thursday, Ram reported that the mechanical bull had been recovered and that it was mistakenly taken by a show contractor. 

"We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who rallied behind us and worked to bring RAM's Bucking HEMI® home," the auto brand said. "Notably, we are extremely grateful and sincerely appreciate the Oakland County Sheriff's Office's assistance in this matter. 

"After 67 hours of uncertainty and a 1,200-mile roundtrip journey to and from North Carolina, Bucking HEMI® has returned. It was mistakenly taken by one of the show contactors, who realized the error after media coverage brought it to their attention."

In an original statement, Ram CEO Tim Kuniskis said, "This is bull****. Our Bucking HEMI was taken on Saturday evening. The search is officially on, and we won't stop searching until we get him back." 

The Bucking HEMI made its public debut earlier this summer at Michigan International Speedway on June 8 during the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race to mark Ram's return to NASCAR in 2026. 

An investigation is ongoing.