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WATCH: Sheriff's office helps round up escaped buffalo in St. Helena Parish

6 years 3 months 4 weeks ago Wednesday, November 29 2017 Nov 29, 2017 November 29, 2017 1:33 PM November 29, 2017 in News
Source: WBRZ

GREENSBURG - A local sheriff's office lent a hand for a bizarre call Wednesday as a crew worked to wrangle up an escaped buffalo.

The St. Helena Parish Sheriff's Office was called to an open field just north of Greensburg after residents located a buffalo that had escaped from their enclosure earlier this month. 

"This a serious problem with an animal that size and that weight because they can get out there on the highway," Sheriff Nathaniel Williams said. "If a car hits it, hitting a regular cow is bad, but that buffalo weighs so much."

The sheriff said two buffalo escaped from their owner a couple of weeks ago. Since then, the sheriff's office has received numerous calls from residents around Highway 38 who reported seeing the animals loose on their property.

The troublesome bovines were finally tracked down Wednesday, with one returning to its pen of its own accord. The second was located in a field and cornered by a group led by the sheriff's office and Kentwood veterinarian Justin Roberts. Roberts said the job was a far cry from wrangling up traditional cattle, due to buffalo being far more resistant to tranquilizers. 

"When you're dealing with a buffalo, he may look similar to a cow, but you might as well treat him like the wildest tiger in Africa," Roberts said. "It's a whole different ball game."

Roberts was right. The buffalo was hit with three tranquilizers, however the anesthesia did little to slow him down.

WBRZ saddled up with the vet as he attempted to lasso the animal from the back of a pickup truck. The video captured several attempts to rope the buffalo, however he proved to be an elusive target.

After about a half an hour of chasing, the animal was finally cornered with the use of two pickup trucks and help from a local farmer named Barry McNabb. The animal was lassoed and taken away in the back of a trailer.

Sheriff Williams says the owner will be charged with violating stock law and criminal damage to property.

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