Water buffalo missing in Des Moines area is found and being treated at ISU animal hospital

The Pleasant Hill water buffalo that escaped slaughter, survived a shotgun blast and led officials on a five-day hunt has now been signed over to the Iowa Farm Sanctuary.

The water buffalo, who has been nicknamed PHill by residents, was finally captured Wednesday after escaping Saturday from his owner — who has had a history of escaped animals, with at least six goats and cows on the loose in neighborhoods around Pleasant Hill, court records show. PHill was sent to the Iowa State University Large Animal Hospital in Ames, where he will be transferred to the sanctuary’s care, Shawn Camp, founder of Iowa Farm Sanctuary , told the Register.

Previously: 'We do everything we can to take care of these animals': Iowa Farm Sanctuary earns accreditation

Officials plan to treat the water buffalo’s gunshot injury, said Camp, who oversees the Oxford nonprofit, which rescues farm animals. The nonprofit also has asked to take custody of two other water buffalo that live on the property from which PHill escaped.

“We don’t have word yet on how bad the injury is,” Camp said. “That will be determined when he arrives to the hospital. The gunshot wound and dehydration have been the biggest concern.”

The water buffalo was tranquilized after officials found him on the east side of Des Moines near Southeast 36th Street and Vandalia Road, southwest of the Community State Bank in Pleasant Hill, where officers shot the animal once with a shotgun in an attempt to capture it Saturday. Veterinarians gave him antibiotics when he was captured.

The Animal Rescue League of Des Moines signed over custody to the sanctuary after he was captured, Camp said.

More: Body camera shows police reluctant to shoot loose water buffalo in Pleasant Hill

“I’m honestly so thankful for the community that has shown compassion for what is essentially a cow in the middle of Iowa,” Camp said. “I think it’s remarkable. It started off with Des Moines rooting for him, then the state of Iowa and now it’s gotten even bigger. I think there’s people across the country for him. Everyone’s rooting for one cow that escaped slaughter.”

How was PHill captured in Des Moines?

The water buffalo was spotted in a body of water in a sand pit east of Pleasant Hill Boulevard and south of Scott Avenue in Des Moines on Tuesday night, but because it was getting dark and there was an impending storm, officials deemed it unsafe to corral him, city spokesperson Candace Bell said.

First responders and wildlife officials from Polk County Conservation, Blank Park Zoo and the Animal Rescue League of Iowa implemented plans to retrieve the water buffalo alive using tranquilizer darts the next morning.

On Wednesday, the water buffalo eventually was coaxed out of the water and a tranquilizer dart was administered at around 9:30 a.m., Bell said. PHill was given another tranquilizer at 10 a.m.

The water buffalo was knocked out and loaded to a trailer, Bell said. Officials gave the animal reversal drugs, antibiotics and vitamins.

An investigation into the escape of the animal is being conducted, and charges may be filed.

The water buffalo escaped Saturday and was on the run since

The water buffalo, which has now become an unexpected celebrity, was about to be shot before jumping on its owner and escaping from its farm north of Pleasant Hill early Saturday morning. Police encountered it in the bank parking lot a while later.

The officer who fired the shot said he hit the animal, though there was no discerning evidence in body camera footage released Tuesday that it was injured.

More: Escaped water buffalo PHill becomes a local celebrity and inspires Raygun T-shirt

It was last seen in Little Fourmile Creek heading southbound toward Scott Avenue and Oakwood Boulevard on Saturday morning.

Pleasant Hill had labeled the animal “aggressive” and asked anyone who saw it not to approach it but call police. The police department said it called on the Polk County Sheriff's Office to help search for the wounded animal using drones, ATVs and bicycles.

Who is the farmer that tried to slaughter PHill?

The farmer, who was identified as Prem Nepal in body camera footage, has had a lengthy history with escaped livestock, according to court documents.

Nepal’s most recent brush with livestock and law enforcement was in September 2020, when a Pleasant Hill police officer responded to a call about a “rogue” cow at East University Avenue and Northeast 56th Street, according to a court document.

During that incident, officers called Nepal multiple times but were unable to get him to their location, according to the court document.

Officers worried the black cow would become a safety hazard as the sun went down because it would not be visible for drivers to see, the document said. Officers shot the cow four times and killed it.

Pleasant Hill had previously responded to animals on the loose on six occasions in the area, the document said. Nepal was found to be the owner of the animals in each case.

Nepal pleaded guilty for having an animal not on a leash and paid a $105 fine for the incident.

A couple of days later, the same officer returned to see if Nepal had gotten rid of the carcass, the court document said.

“I observed a mound of dirt partially covering a portion of the carcass,” the officer said in the report. “I walked up and confirmed that Prem had not taken the carcass or cleaned it up. The carcass was still where it had been left on private property.”

Nepal pleaded guilty to failure to dispose of a dead animal and paid a $105 fine.

In December 2016, Nepal pleaded guilty to having an animal at large and paid a $100 fine after his goats were found roaming free in the city limits of Pleasant Hill, according to court documents.

In the latest incident, officers on body camera footage told Nepal he could be charged or held liable if anything were to happen with the escaped water buffalo.

Nepal declined to comment when reached by the Register.

José Mendiola is a breaking news reporter for the Register. Reach him at jmendiola@dmreg.com.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Water buffalo missing in Des Moines area is found and being treated at ISU animal hospital