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The story is "An 'aggressive,' wounded water buffalo is on the loose in the Des Moines metro area" by Jose Mendiola with the Des Moines Register.

This is somewhat an interesting story in that someone in the US owned a water buffelo which got loose and a cop (obviously untrained), shot it with a shotgun. Now, it seems that Des Moines has a mad water buffelo to contend with.

Pleasant Hill officials say they are using all resources Monday in the search of a loose water buffalo that was shot by a police officer over the weekend.

Pleasant Hill police were dispatched to 2060 Northeast 56th Street on Saturday after a caller said they saw a loose animal in the street. Police identified the animal as a water buffalo and began coordinating with the Animal Rescue League and Des Moines Animal Control to apprehend it.

The water buffalo had escaped its owner’s property, officials said. The owner told police that 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 sedate a mammal of the water buffalo’s size, officials said.

The water buffalo was last seen in Little Fourmile Creek heading southbound toward Scott Avenue and Oakwood Boulevard.

Pleasant Hill police have partnered with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office to implement a drone search for the water buffalo. Officers also are using ATVs to search the bicycle trails and along the creek.

According to National Geographic, the water buffalo is the largest member of the Bovini tribe. It can weigh 1,500 to 2,600 pounds and be 8- to 9-feet long without including the tail. Male water buffalo have backward-curving, crescent-shaped horns stretching close to 5 feet long. Pleasant Hill police didn't say whether the escaped water buffalo is male or female.

It's also unclear where this water buffalo came from.

City officials are asking people not to approach the animal. Instead, call the Pleasant Hill Police Department at 515-265-1444 if you see it.

City officials were not available for interviews on Monday as all resources were being use to locate the animal, the news release said.

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RB

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