Runaway Water Buffalo Finds Safe Haven After Dramatic Chase Through Des Moines, Iowa!
Phill, a water buffalo who escaped in Des Moines, is recovering from his injuries and is now safely under the care of Iowa Farm Sanctuary. 🌐 #News #DesMoinesIA #Iowa #Animals
DES MOINES, IA – A water buffalo that escaped slaughter and ran loose through a suburb of Des Moines, Iowa, for several days earlier this week is safely recovering from a gunshot wound, Iowa Farm Sanctuary said.
In an update on Thursday, the Iowa Farm Sanctuary said the water buffalo, now named Phill, was taken to Iowa State University’s Large Animal Hospital, where veterinarians determined a shotgun round fired by an officer with the Pleasant Hill Police Department “did not penetrate his lung or enter his chest cavity” and there were no signs of internal bleeding.
The gunshot wound is “severely infected,” however, and vets had to remove necrotic tissue during an extensive cleaning. Since Phill’s condition is now stable, vets are letting him “relax and recover” before conducting an X-ray to determine whether the slug is still lodged in his muscle or if it has fallen out.
Pleasant Hill Police said officers responded Monday with the Animal Rescue League of Iowa and Des Moines Animal Control in an effort to contain Phill. Police said the water buffalo’s owner had described it as “aggressive.”
Police said efforts to contain Phill “led the animal to show its aggressiveness,” but none of the responding agencies had tranquilizer guns, prompting an officer to fire one round from a shotgun, injuring him.
But the Iowa Farm Sanctuary says Phill, a juvenile water buffalo, is not aggressive, and that he was just running scared in an unfamiliar environment.
“The staff at the hospital have seen firsthand that Phill is not the aggressive animal many feared,” the sanctuary said.
“Instead, he is a scared, juvenile calf who has been chased around in an unfamiliar environment and then captured, leaving him anxious and frightened. To help Phill feel safe, his stall has been closed off to minimize stress and allow him to rest while his wound is treated.”
The sanctuary thanked the Blank Park Zoo, Animal Rescue League of Iowa, Des Moines Police, and Phill’s supporters in the community and online for making the humane capture of Phill possible.
“Every single person who fought for Phill — you saved his life. Because of YOU, he’s headed to sanctuary instead of slaughter, and he’s no longer lost, afraid, wounded, and alone,” the sanctuary said.
Written by TMX staff, with additional reporting by Maria Garcia for JackAndKitty.com.
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