Two escaped llamas that ran loose in a retirement community in Arizona became worldwide celebrities as news stations broadcasted their capture live on television.

 

 

 

The llamas - one small and black, and a bigger white one - halted cars and golf carts on their lunchtime break-out. - running through manicured gardens and central reservations as officials tried to rope them into custody.

Their televised breakout quickly inspired a Twitter account and several hashtags including LlamasonTheLoose, llamadrama and TEAMLLAMAS.

Social media users shared running commentary and even photos of people gathered around a screen to watch the llama saga unfold.

Arizona senator John McCain and the Arizona Cardinals football team joined the fun, with Mr McCain tweeting that he was "glad that LlamaDrama 2015 has been peacefully resolved!". The Cardinals tweeted that the team "agreed to one-year deals with the llamasontheloose", promising the animals a salary in hay.

Even the North American Aerospace Defence Command tweeted: "Llama had no known connections to Isis (a name for the Islamic State terror group). Appears to have self-radicalised."

The animals gave chase through gardens and central reservations as Maricopa County sheriff deputies tried to lasso them for around an hour.

The black llama was captured first and the white one was nabbed after two men in the back of a moving pick-up truck repeatedly threw out a lasso. It took three men in all to secure the rope before both animals were escorted to a waiting horse trailer after the hour-long ordeal.

Sheriff's spokesman Brandon Jones said the llamas were returned to their owners. No criminal charges will be filed.