A pair of escaped llamas took police on a wild chase through Sun City, Ariz., this afternoon.

The unruly pair, which were eventually rounded up by police-cum-llama chasers and members of the public using pickup trucks and lassooes, temporarily stopped traffic on a busy interstate.

The llamas appeared to be on the verge of capture multiple times before being caught, but used last-second evasive manoeuvres to dodge their pursuers.

The low-speed chase captivated audiences on social media, with #Llamawatch and other variants quickly becoming trending hashtags in North America.

Several major American television networks carried the pursuit, which lasted a little over a half hour, live from helicopter cameras.

The llamas appeared to be unhurt.