“PHill”: the aggressive water buffalo on the loose in Des Moines, Iowa
Police do not have the tranquilizers or equipment needed to handle this “unique situation.” People should not approach the animal and instead call police at 515-265-1444.
Police bodycam captures chase of water buffalo in Des Moines
A police bodycam showed officers attempting to capture the animal.
A water buffalo became an overnight celebrity in the Des Moines area after it escaped from its owner shortly before slaughter.
The animal was later injured by a police officer’s shot and was still roaming freely in the area on Wednesday. The police used drones as part of the search.
The incident occurred on Saturday in rural Polk County, Iowa, north of the city limits of Pleasant Hill, when a water buffalo jumped its owner just before he was about to be shot and slaughtered and escaped.
After his remarkable escape, the locals called the water buffalo “Phill.”
“As you may have heard, we responded to a call about an animal on the road,” Pleasant Hill police said in a Facebook post. “It turns out that this animal was a water buffalo.”
The animal was shot and injured on Saturday after becoming aggressive during a confrontation with police, the post said.
The water buffalo then fled the scene and the police continued their search.
“With a dangerous animal on the loose in our community, we are using all available resources to ensure the safety of our community and attempt to return the animal to its owner, if possible,” the department said.
The water buffalo was last seen walking south in a creek near the southwest side of Pleasant Hill.
The animal is aggressive and police are asking people not to approach it. Instead, call the department at 515-265-1444.
This is what the free-roaming water buffalo in Pleasant Hill looks like
Pleasant Hill authorities said they would use all available resources Monday to search for an escaped water buffalo that was shot and killed by a police officer over the weekend.
The police do not have the resources to deal with the situation
Police said neither they nor the animal control agency they worked with had the tranquilizers or equipment needed to deal with “such a unique situation.”
The department has partnered with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office to utilize its drone technology and begin searching the area where the animal was last seen.
What happened?
On Saturday, Pleasant Hill police were called to the area where a caller had seen an animal running loose in the road. Police identified the animal as a water buffalo and began working with the Animal Rescue League and Des Moines Animal Control to apprehend it.
The water buffalo escaped from its owner’s possession, officials said. The owner told police 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 calm a mammal the size of the water buffalo, officials said.
