A water buffalo is on the loose in a town in Iowaand police are warning people that it is damaged and aggressive.
Police in the Des Moines suburb of Pleasant Hill responded Saturday to a call about an animal in the road. It turned out to be a water buffalo and the owner told police the animal was aggressive.
That proved to be the case when police and animal rescue and control groups began trying to curb it the water buffalo and return it to the owner’s property. Those efforts “led the animal to show its aggression toward Pleasant Hill officers, resulting in a shot being fired from a shotgun, injuring the animal,” police said in a Facebook post Monday.
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The injured water buffalo escaped. Police used drones and ATVs to find it and brought in people with water buffalo expertise. As of Tuesday morning, the animal was still on the loose in the city of about 11,000 residents.
An escaped water buffalo is seen Saturday, Aug. 24, 2024, in the Des Moines suburb of Pleasant Hill, Iowa. The search for the animal, which has been described as injured and aggressive, has entered its third day. (Madison Pottebaum via AP)
“If anyone sees a water buffalo, DON’T TOUCH IT,” said the police on Facebook.
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Water buffalo can weigh up to 2,650 pounds, according to the National Geographic website, although the Iowa animal appears smaller in photos. The water buffalo is often domesticated and is the largest member of the Bovini tribe, which includes yak, bison, African buffalo, various species of wild cattle and others, the website said.