Buffalo Herd Charges Through Arkansas Town, On the Run from Police
OutdoorHub Reporters 04.23.15
A group of six buffalo entered the central Arkansas town of Hot Springs last week, and they quickly made it known that they were up to no good. According to KTHV, officials believe that the bison may have escaped from a nearby farm on April 16 and entered the town shortly afterwards. While buffalo are mostly docile creatures, police received reports of the animals running through backyards, grazing in the local woods, and one even struck a car. At more than 2,000 pounds, the buffalo were difficult to capture safely.
“The tranquilizer darts that we had available to us were not strong enough so obviously when they were shot with those darts it didn’t do a whole lot of good,” said Corporal Sonia Luzader of the Hot Springs Police Department.
“It’s not every day in central Arkansas you see buffalo, let alone roaming your own street up here,” Luzader added. “It’s just kind of odd.”
Law enforcement, animal control officers, and a handful of volunteers spent most of last Thursday hunting down the large animals. By the end of the day, three of the buffalo were captured and corralled into a field while a fourth was found after it struck a car in traffic. Two more were unaccounted for, and officials believe they may have taken cover in a densely wooded area near town. A search on Friday proved to be fruitless, but police say they are still looking for the animals. It is possible that the two missing bison may have wandered over to Hot Springs National Park, the oldest federal reserve in the United States and the town’s namesake.
According to the Associated Press, no injuries were reported as a result of the bison encounters, and officials said that no significant property damage has been found either. With help from the animals’ owner, law enforcement hopes to capture the last two buffalo soon.
You can see a brief video of the bison below:
