3 water buffaloes roamed through an east Charlotte neighborhood. Only 2 came back.
Editor’s note: This story was updated on Thursday, July 6, 2023, with additional information from CMPD.
One of the three exotic — and illegal — Chinese water buffaloes roaming east Charlotte last Friday was put down after charging at a person and significantly damaging its livestock trailer, a Charlotte police news release revealed Thursday.
The owner now faces at least five citations totaling $450 in fines,including ones for failing to restrain animals and nuisance animals,according to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department.
After police spent three hours Friday evening chasing down the buffalo, its owner agreed to have CMPD euthanize the 1,500 pound animal.
Officers responded to calls on Friday around 5 p.m. about three missing buffaloes running loose by Leesburg Road and Hollyhouse Drive in east Charlotte, Queen City News reported.
The buffaloes were coming from Louisiana, where a breeder bought them, police said.
CMPD Animal Care and Control officers caught two of them while the owner was at the scene with a trailer. During the pursuit, the third buffalo became frightened, charged at the owner’s employee and damaged its trailer. Authorities spent another few hours trying to corner the animal.
At about 6:30 a.m. Saturday officers finally contained the female buffalo at Albemarle Elementary School’s athletic fields. The buffalo was euthanized after it became “increasingly agitated,” Queen City News reported.
It is illegal to own water buffaloes in Charlotte, according to city law.
The incident is still investigation and additional citations may be added.
This story was originally published July 3, 2023 at 3:45 PM.
