Francesca Capozzi From slaughterhouse to a sanctuary, this is the incredible journey of a buffalo named Phil who fought for his freedom. He is now under observation in a veterinary clinic due to a bullet fired by the police during the operations carried out. Come on Phil, your new home awaits you!
@Iowa Farm Sanctuary/Facebook
Determination and courage are the necessary features of a water buffalo named Phil. His life didn’t have to end in a slaughterhouse, in a pool of blood, and this brave animal fought to escape death -and he succeeded.
The Bubalus bubalis is a male specimen with a tale that has touched every heart. Phil managed to escape from a slaughterhouse late at night in the middle of August and was seen wandering around the outskirts of the city of Pleasant Hill, Iowa, USA.
The residents, who had never seen water buffaloes in their area, tracked the animal-which they had named Phil after the town-photographed him grazing on grass and resting in front of suburban houses, and eventually grew fond of Phil.
Described by his owner as “dangerous”, the buffalo remained docile. Reports came to the Pleasant Hill Police Department, which, allegedly ignorant of who the buffalo’s owner was, assembled an operation to kill him. The story stirred public outrage.
But Phil had no urge to be deprived of his liberty and foiled several attempts at capture, even after a bullet wounded him. The people of Pleasant Hill rallied behind him, begging the authorities to spare the life of the buffalo. He could not be executed, they protested.
The community rallied around them, calling in with ideas for just how to get to that happy ending. The story went viral across the state, landing in the laps of one team in particular: Iowa Farm Sanctuary.
When they learned about Phil, the sanctuary reached out to immediately offer to take him in, rerouting law enforcement involved to assist in replanning the operation. Phil was to be saved, not slaughtered.
The mission has been accomplished, and the animal will be transported to the Large Animal Hospital at Iowa State University for further remedial operations on his wounds. Updates are fresh from the veterinary clinic.
The bullet that hit Phil was in his abdomen and will be surgically removed. Sanctuary staff is also very confident that the buffalo will pull through this setback too, and is looking forward to his arrival at the refuge.
Good luck, Phil. Hang in there; your new home is waiting for you.
Source: Iowa Farm Sanctuary/Instagram
