A TRIO of intrepid llamas that fled from their farmers' field through an open gate are enjoying their fourth day of freedom.

The adventure-seeking animals, one of whom is thought to be pregnant, are roaming loose in Long Wittenham near Didcot after sneaking out from their Home Farm grazing spot.

Steve Castle, who owns the farm, said this morning: "We still don't know where they are. We have put them in fields for the last three nights but when they get fed up they leave. They can clear an ordinary fence without even running at it, they can just hop over.

"They are still in this area. They were seen in the dark last night going towards Pendon Museum. They all stick together."

Mr Castle, whose only other llama Milo did not join the escape mission, said the lady llamas were Patches, who is white, her daughter Star who is brown, and male son Tri who is white, brown and black. 

They have been coaxed into fields several times but vamoosed before the farmer has had time to fetch his horse box. 

The 65-year-old said: "They are completely harmless. Last night they wandered into somebody's front garden and were looking through the windows. 

"It's not like there's a lynx wandering about the place, they're very inquisitive but not dangerous.

"They don't like traffic but if they've been chased by a dog they are going to run towards anything. That's a worry. I don't want them to cause an accident."

Patches and Milo joined the Clifton Hampden Road farm two and a half years ago after Mr Castle heard they needed a caring new home.

He said: "They were rescued from gypsies who were training dogs. They were confiscated and I was persuaded to take them."

The farm, which also keeps birds and meerkats, has recovered the llamas from previous explorations but Mr Castle said they had never gone so far into the village.

He said: "Milo isn't with them and he's the boss. If you shout him he normally leads them back. We have considered taking him out on a lead but he takes a bit of holding.

"The nettles round here are about eight foot high so you can walk by and won't even notice them."

The llamas were spotted at Earth Trust Farm, where they were snapped on camera by staff, before making their way to Rachel Mulford's house in Fieldside.

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Llamas in Rachel Mulford's garden

The 23-year-old, who lives with her partner, said: "I was pulling in home at about 8.30pm after being out with friends and saw three llamas in our lane. I thought 'am I seeing things? Have I been drinking?'

"I have a couple of horses so I know what I'm doing with bigger animals - I got out the car and called them over and they happily came straight up to me. I herded them into the garden and locked it."

After alerting police, Mr Castle came along to take them to fields, where they later escaped and headed back to their new favourite garden grassland.

Miss Mulford said: "At about 12am they were back, I had to go outside in my pyjamas and herd them back in, but then they jumped out again."

The hairdresser said she "couldn't stop laughing" at the bizarre turn of events her Wednesday night took, and said she would leave out water in case they returned tonight.