A lamb was bundled into a car and driven seven miles into South Wigston before being dumped and left to fend for itself.
The stolen animal was seen crossing Blaby Road and heading for a nearby park at about 4pm, on Wednesday.
An Arriva bus driver, who nearly hit the confused lamb, called the police to report the incident.
Psco Vince Preston, who was sent to investigate, found the animal sitting in Blaby Road Park, with a group of curious parents and youngsters surrounding it.
"We got quite a few calls actually to say it had run across the road and it was heading for the park," said Vince.
"At first, I had no idea how it had got there, I thought someone had taken it for a laugh and dumped it when they realised there wasn't much they could do with it."
Vince took the lamb, which he named Fluffy, back to the police station soon learned where it had come from.
"I saw someone had reported a lamb as being stolen – so I knew this had to be it.
"I'd named it Fluffy – and to be honest I'd grown quite attached to it, but I contacted the owner and let him know Fluffy was safe."
Following the incident, Vince Tweeted a picture of himself with Fluffy.
He wrote: "Done some inquiries and the lamb I captured was stolen. Now returned to a happy owner. I won't forget it. Vince"
Fluffy is actually named "67" and was taken from a farmer's field, in Saddington, which he shares with about 300 lambs and ewes.
His owner, 53-year-old farmer Michael Skinner, who runs KS Skinner and Son, said he had no idea why anyone would want to steal one of his sheep, but he was happy to get 67 back safely.
"I didn't know if it was prank, or someone wanted it as a pet or worse," he said.
Michael and his son Charlie went to South Wigston police station on Wednesday evening to collect the lost animal.
"I never thought I'd get it back," said Michael.
"My 10-year-old son came to the police station with me to pick it up – he just thought it was exciting.
"We drove it back to the field and found its mother and brother, and they were happy to see him – I think they had missed him."
