Buffalo soldiers on after pool plunge

By Jano Gibson

Posted Wed Feb 3, 2010 11:16am AEDT

Buffalo in backyard pool

A buffalo takes a dip in Karl Stower's backyard pool. (Karl Stower )

As I came out all I could see was his bum heading in through my pool gate.

– Karl Stower

Karl Stower had just finished mowing the lawn and cleaning his pool when he saw a large buffalo wander up the driveway of his property in Darwin's rural area.

In 30 years, the Howard Springs resident had never seen such a creature in the area, so he decided to capture the moment.

"I saw him coming down the driveway and thought, well, you don't see that every day," Mr Stower told 105.7 ABC Darwin.

"I went inside and grabbed the camera.

"As I came out all I could see was his bum heading in through my pool gate.

"And I thought, oh no, don't get in there."

But that's just what the hairy beast did.

"He went and jumped in, had a swim," he said.

"It looked like he owned the place.

"He was just being a bit cheeky I think."

Mr Stower tempted the buffalo out of the pool with some bread rolls, but the animal was not finished.

"He went round, had a look at the back of the block, because [we've got] seven acres out here, and he found some piles of mud and rolled around like a big puppy.

"Honestly, [he was] as tame as anything.

"I thought he might be somebody's pet, he was so tame and placid, just like a giant puppy."