North Whidbey has Bruiser the elk. Now South Whidbey has Tobey the steer.

The big, white bovine has been living among the trees in Trillium Woods for more than a week and a half. Several hikers in the 600-acre forested area have spotted Tobey, with one person posting a video online of the big guy standing mysteriously still in the woods.

Kyle Riemer said he and his wife, Vicky, first noticed that Tobey the steer was missing from his enclosure on their farm in Trillium Woods on Friday, May 9. The persistent bovine decided it was worth weathering the discomfort of an electric fence to squeeze out.

“As my brother always says, they have leather coats,” Riemer said.

Since then, Tobey the steer has been living the life of a forest dweller and seems to be enjoying it.

The couple purchased the shaggy white beast with the mismatched horns in February. Riemer said they found that he is mild-mannered and never aggressive, though he is timid — which has turned out to be a problem for those trying to catch the 1,000 pounds of beef.

“He won’t let anyone get within five feet of him before he backs away slowly,” Rimer said.

The couple posted signs in the area and other places around the community, as well as social media posts, to let people know about the loose steer and asking people to contact them if they spot Tobey.

A hiker spied the steer in the Bounty Loop area the day after he went missing. Other hikers spotted him on Wednesday and then a few times over the weekend.

Riemer said he went to the site and saw Tobey. Riemer was able to get about 10 feet from the shy steer before the animal sauntered away and somehow managed to melt into the forest.

“He just walked away from me at a moderate pace,” Riemer said.

Riemer said they left some grain for Tobey at the site where he has been hanging out, although the wayward bovine likely has plenty to eat in the wilds of Whidbey. He said he hopes to be able to attract Tobey to the site and hopefully corral him.

While Bruiser the elk has been known to be aggressive toward hikers and even cars on North Whidbey, the large ungulate roaming South Whidbey has never been anything but docile, according to Riemer.

Loose cows are nothing new on Whidbey or any rural area, though they are usually caught in a shorter amount of time. In one memorable event 20 years ago, a bull got loose in the middle of Coupeville and was chased through town until the local cow whisperer came to the rescue.

Hikers who see Tobey in the woods are welcome to call his name, but he likely won’t respond.

Anyone who spots him in the woods can call Kyle at 360-320-8737 or Vicky at 414-531-5979.