Ben Madilynn
The owner of an escaped water buffalo that evaded capture for five days 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.
Police identified the owner in body camera footage as Prem Nepal of Des Moines. He rents the land just north of Pleasant Hill from which the water buffalo, nicknamed PHill, escaped, according to Axios.
PHill was last seen Saturday after evading slaughter, surviving a gunshot wound and leading police on a five-day hunt for the animal. He was tranquilized and taken to the Large Animal Hospital at Iowa State University on Wednesday morning.
More:Body camera shows police reluctant to shoot loose water buffalo in Pleasant Hill
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 cow’s 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.
More:Escaped water buffalo PHill becomes a local celebrity and inspires Raygun T-shirt
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 with PHill, officers on body camera footage told Nepal he could be charged or held liable if anything were to happen with the escaped water buffalo. City spokesperson Candace Bell said the investigation into the water buffalo’s escape is ongoing and charges may be filed.
Nepal declined to comment when reached by the Register.
After treatment, PHill will be in the custody of Iowa Farm Sanctuary, a nonprofit in Oxford that rescues farm animals. It has requested custody of two other water buffalo on Nepal’s property.
José Mendiola is a breaking news reporter for the Register. Reach him at jmendiola@dmreg.com.
