Current:Home > ScamsIowa water buffalo escapes owner moments before slaughter, eluding police for days-DB Wealth Institute B2 Reviews & Ratings
Iowa water buffalo escapes owner moments before slaughter, eluding police for days
lotradecoin demo account features View Date:2024-12-26 01:53:49
A water buffalo went rogue and became an overnight celebrity in the Des Moines metro area after it escaped its owner moments before it was destined for slaughter.
The animal, later injured when a police officer shot at it, remained on the loose in the area Wednesday and officers were deploying drones as part of the search.
The incident began Saturday in rural Polk County, Iowa, just north of Pleasant Hill city limits, when a water buffalo jumped onto its owner just before it was about to get shot and slaughtered and made its escape.
After its remarkable getaway, residents dubbed water buffalo "PHill."
"As you may have heard, we responded to a call about an animal in the road," said a Pleasant Hill Police Department Facebook post. "This animal turned out to be a Water Buffalo."
The animal was shot and injured Saturday after it became aggressive when confronted by police, according to the post.
The water buffalo then fled the scene, and police continued their search.
"With a dangerous animal loose in our community, we are using all resources available to keep our community safe and attempt to return the animal to its owner, if possible," said the department.
The water buffalo was last seen heading southbound in a creek near the southwest side of Pleasant Hill.
The animal is aggressive, and police ask people not to approach it. Instead, call the department at 515-265-1444.
Police do not have the resources to handle the situation
Police said neither they nor the animal control department they have teamed up with have the tranquilizers or equipment needed to handle "such a unique situation."
The department has teamed up with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office to use its drone technology and will begin searching the area where the animal was last seen.
What happened?
On Saturday, Pleasant Hill police were dispatched to the area where a caller said they saw a loose animal in the street. Police identified the animal as a water buffalo and began coordinating with the Animal Rescue League and Des Moines Animal Control to apprehend it.
The water buffalo had escaped its owner’s property, officials said. The owner told police that the mammal was aggressive.
When officers spotted the water buffalo, it became aggressive, and an officer shot it once with a shotgun, the news release said. The Animal Rescue League and Des Moines Animal Control do not have tranquilizers to sedate a mammal of the water buffalo’s size, officials said.
veryGood! (38)
Related
- How a small group of nuns in rural Kansas vex big companies with their investment activism
- A rocket attack targets the US embassy in Baghdad, causing minor damage but no casualties
- Nintendo cancels its Live 2024 Tokyo event after persistent threats to workers and customers
- Free toy store in Nashville gives families the dignity of choice while shopping for holiday gifts
- As Baltimore’s Sewer System Buckles Under Extreme Weather, City Refuses to Help Residents With Cleanup Efforts
- For one Israeli hostage's family, anguish, and a promise after meeting Netanyahu: We're coming.
- Deployed soldier sends messages of son's favorite stuffed dinosaur traveling world
- Kremlin foe Navalny’s lawyers to remain in detention at least through mid-March, Russian court rules
- A teen was falling asleep during a courtroom field trip. She ended up in cuffs and jail clothes
- Amazon’s plans to advance its interests in California laid bare in leaked memo
Ranking
- What to stream: Post Malone goes country, Sydney Sweeney plays a nun and Madden 25 hits the field
- Selena Gomez Appears to Confirm She’s Dating Benny Blanco
- App stop working? Here's how to easily force quit on your Mac or iPhone
- McDonald's plans to open roughly 10,000 new locations, with 50,000 worldwide by 2027
- The president of Columbia University has resigned, effective immediately
- Pantone reveals Peach Fuzz as its 2024 Color of the Year
- Denny Laine, Moody Blues and Wings co-founder, dies at age 79
- Sloppy Steelers’ playoff hopes take another hit with loss to Patriots
Recommendation
-
Hideki Matsuyama will be without regular caddie, coach after their passports and visas were stolen
-
Miami-Dade police officer charged with 3 felonies, third arrest from force in 6 weeks
-
Rabies scare in Michigan prompted by an unusual pet: Skunks
-
Russian hackers accused of targeting U.S. intelligence community with spear phishing campaign
-
Charlie Sheen’s Daughter Sami Sheen Undergoes Plastic Surgery for Droopy Nose
-
Scientists: Climate change intensified the rains devastating East Africa
-
Amazon’s plans to advance its interests in California laid bare in leaked memo
-
How Ian Somerhalder and Nikki Reed Built Their Life Away From Hollywood