Where Buffalo Roam: Upscale Burb

A herd of buffalo somehow got loose and wandered around an upscale Maryland neighborhood Tuesday, disrupting traffic and alarming homeowners before officers managed to corral them in a tennis court.

More than a dozen police cars and a police helicopter were used to herd the roughly 10 beasts, authorities said.

"Somehow they figured it out; I've got to give a lot of credit to the creativity of our officers," police spokesman Shawn Vinson said.

Authorities have identified the owner of the buffalo but did not immediately release the person's name. A call to a nearby farm was answered by a woman who said the buffalo belonged to her husband. She declined to give her name.

Residents in the Baltimore suburb first reported that buffalo were meandering along the road about 7 a.m.

Carol Landsman, who lives across from the tennis court, told The Early Show co-anchor Harry Smith Wednesday, "I saw two police cars by the side of my house with the doors open, police running. The next thing I saw were the buffaloes running up the street and they were on top of the crest in front of my house. I went, 'Oh, my god.' It was a sight not to be believed. It was so surreal looking.

"I was amused. I thought it was kind of funny in Pikesville. What were they doing here, of all places? ...It was just absolutely hysterical."

Baltimore County Police Lt. David Folderauer, who headed up the roundup operation, told Smith, "They were heading toward the Baltimore Beltway, and it was rush hour. That could have been tragic. So obviously, our main objective was to keep them away from the beltway and ultimately, they wound up here in Carol's neighborhood.

"It's safe to say this will be the thing I'm remembered for," he joked.

Police shut down several major traffic arteries, including a section of the beltway, while they tried to anticipate which way the buffalo would roam.

Officers eventually managed to maneuver the buffalo onto the tennis court about a mile from where they first were spotted.