Former owner of water buffalo that roamed Iowa suburb for days pleads guilty
The owner of a water buffalo that ran loose in a Des Moines, Iowa, suburb for days in August has pleaded guilty for having an animal at large
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The owner of a water buffalo that ran loose in a Des Moines, Iowa, suburb for days pleaded guilty for having an animal at large.
The owner was fined $105 and court costs Thursday, the Des Moines Register reported.
The owner was taking the animal to slaughter when it escaped in August.
Police spent days searching for it as it roamed Pleasant Hill, a town of 11,000 residents. Fans named the animal PHill after the city.
Police at one point shot PHill while trying to capture the animal, but it escaped and continued to roam for several days before being tranquilized with help from zoo and animal rescue workers.
The former owner gave custody of PHill and two other water buffaloes — now named Sal and Jane — to an animal shelter.
The water buffalo was treated at a large animal hospital for an infected gunshot wound. Iowa Farm Sanctuary said PHill is recovering well.
Water buffaloes can weigh up to 2,650 pounds (1,200 kilograms), according to the website for National Geographic, though the Iowa animal appears smaller in photos. Often domesticated, the water buffalo is the largest member of the Bovini tribe, which includes yak, bison, African buffalo, various species of wild cattle, and others, the website said.