Water buffalo escapes slaughter, evades police, becomes local celebrity

PHill, a water buffalo, recovering at Iowa State University’s Large Animal Hospital. Photo / Iowa Farm Sanctuary

A water buffalo who escaped as his owner tried to slaughter him became a folk hero-type figure in Iowa last week as the animal - who was also shot by police - was on the run for days.

Residents in Pleasant Hill, Iowa - a city in the Des Moines metropolitan area - first spotted the water buffalo on August 24 in the middle of a roadway. Passersby were puzzled by the strange sighting, since water buffaloes are unusual in the area.

After multiple sightings, residents started tracking the large animal, and named him PHill (Pronounced Phil) after their city.

Pleasant Hill Police were alerted to the wandering mammal and spoke with its owner, who rents land just north of Pleasant Hill. The owner told officers he was attempting to kill the animal to butcher him for meat when the water buffalo escaped the property, according to Pleasant Hill city spokeswoman Candace Bell. The owner told officers the water buffalo was “aggressive and dangerous”, Bell said.

“The biggest concern was that he would walk into a roadway and cause a car accident,” said Bell. “Public safety was the top priority.”

She said officers had no prior experience corralling a water buffalo - which are often called Asian buffalo.

“This is highly peculiar for us,” Bell said. “We don’t typically have big game in our area.”

On the same day the water buffalo escaped, an officer found him by a bank, next to a four-lane highway.

“That is when our officer took a shot to keep it from going into the highway,” said Bell.

The two other water buffalo that had been kept by the owner who tried to slaughter PHill. Photo / Iowa Farm Sanctuary

After PHill was shot in the abdomen, he quickly ran off.

As police tried to track down the roughly 450kg wounded animal, he made his way around town. Residents began to spot him curiously sniffing at their doorsteps and in their backyards, and ambling through parking lots and nearby trails.

Neighbors started trading stories about sightings and began posting photos of him on local internet groups.

“I was seeing and following what was going on,” said Suzy Henriksen, who has lived in Pleasant Hill for 25 years. “The story was really intriguing … everybody was just posting constantly about it.”

There was a consensus that residents wanted to keep PHill safe. Soon, people were pleading for his protection.

“The outcry was, ‘Don’t kill him’. Everybody was offering suggestions,” Henriksen said. “He’s just the cutest little thing.”

Henriksen created a Facebook page to provide updates on his whereabouts, and a clothing store started selling T-shirts that say: “FREE PHILL!”

“Let him be free! He’s cheated death at least twice! He’s earned it!” the store wrote in a Facebook post.

Photos of the runaway buffalo - who residents said seemed gentle and meek rather than violent - continued to populate community groups. As people became more invested in his plight, local media followed the story closely.

“He did not show any signs of aggression toward anyone,” said Jessica Eshelman, a Pleasant Hill resident who spotted PHill on her door camera shortly after he was shot.

“He looked so cute, and I felt so bad that I couldn’t help or something,” she said, noting that he was sniffing her flowers. “I wish he would have stuck around.”

He was likely in pain from the gunshot wound, Eshelman said, which “was just heartbreaking”.

Iowa Farm Sanctuary - about 160km from Pleasant Hill - caught wind of PHill’s story and offered to take him in, as well as two other water buffalo kept by PHill’s owner, who officials said has been charged in the past for similar livestock incidents.

“This same owner has had cows and goats go missing so there is an investigation into how they’ve escaped and if all laws were being followed,” Bell said, adding that police do not know how or where the man obtained the water buffalo.

“We were able to get the owner to surrender all three of the water buffalo to us,” said Jered Camp, co-founder of the sanctuary in rural Johnson County. “Once they get here, they’re going to have a 40-acre [16ha] farm where they get to roam around and eat and play and do whatever they want for the rest of their lives.”

PHill is being treated at Iowa State University’s Large Animal Hospital. Photo / Iowa Farm Sanctuary

After a few days of no sightings, on August 27 police - alongside the Blank Park Zoo and the Animal Rescue League - were able to humanely catch PHill while he was roaming in a creek bed. They tranquilised him and transported him to Iowa State University’s Large Animal Hospital, where staff treated his infected wound. The multi-day water buffalo hunt had come to an end.

“Our whole community, including our police department, are so thrilled about the outcome of this, that he was able to be safely surrendered,” said Bell.

“We were extremely relieved,” said Camp, adding that vets confirmed PHill is a male, and about a year old.

The sanctuary is raising funds to support the three water buffalo. So far, more than US$25,000 ($40,485) has poured in.

“We’ve been getting inundated with awesome messages and a lot of support,” said Camp, explaining that donations will also help cover the cost of PHill’s medical bills. “We just want to thank everybody.”

The two other water buffaloes arrived at the sanctuary on Wednesday and are settling in. PHill is expected to join them as soon as he is cleared by his veterinary team.

“They did an X-ray, and the bullet is still inside of his abdomen, so they’re going to have to figure out a plan for if they’re going to do surgery or not,” said Camp. “He is not showing any clinical signs of issues internally.”

Camp said he understands why the public was so passionate about PHill’s wellbeing.

“He’s super affectionate. You can see it in his eyes, just how innocent he is,” he said.

After a tense week, Pleasant Hill residents say they are pleased PHill will be able to live out the rest of his life in peace.

“It is the best outcome that could happen from this,” Eshelman said, adding that she will miss having him around the neighborhood.

“We’re rooting here in Pleasant Hill for him to come for a visit,” she said. “Maybe he’ll make an appearance at next year’s Iowa State Fair.”