Pet Buffalo

Status: Real
My wife was watching the Home & Garden channel this afternoon (she's addicted to it), when a show came on called "Pet Pads" that featured Jim and Linda Sautner of Alberta, Canada, who keep a 1650lb pet buffalo named Bailey in their home. Remembering that I had recently posted about a woman with a pet moose, she called me in to see the show. It was pretty interesting. The buffalo had been trained to wipe its feet on a mat, as well as to turn on the light (the light was touch sensitive, so the buffalo only had to touch it with its snout). Of course, the buffalo didn't live in their home 24 hours a day. There was a pen for it out in the barn. I figure that since I saw the pet buffalo on TV, it must be a true story. (Kidding, but there are plenty of articles online about the Sautners and their oversized pet, so I'm sure it's real.)

Most buffalo can be quite aggressive, but Bailey was raised by the Sautners since he was a calf and has always been very tame. Also, the Sautners operate a buffalo ranch, so they know how to handle the creatures. I don't think keeping a pet buffalo would be a good idea for most people.

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Animals

Posted on Mon Mar 13, 2006


Comments

I might just add that (unless this is a diffrent fammily to the one i saw on Ripleys Believe It Or Not!) that this buffalo is smaller then normal buffalos & more tame then most bufalo.
Posted by Sam  on  Mon Mar 13, 2006  at  01:40 AM
Just a guess, but I'm putting all my money on the fact that both this house, AND the moose house smell real sweet- inside and out!!!
Posted by Christopher in Joplin, Missouri  on  Mon Mar 13, 2006  at  05:34 AM
Looks like a bison to me. Short description of the difference:

<http://www.angelfire.com/biz2/cherokeebison/bbdiff.html>
Posted by cvirtue  on  Mon Mar 13, 2006  at  06:47 AM
Very short description indeed, cvirtue! 😉
Posted by The Curator  in  San Diego  on  Mon Mar 13, 2006  at  09:27 AM
Pet moose? Pet buffalo?

These could be the most docile creatures on the face of the planet, but who in their right mind keeps these animals as pets? If my 40 lb dog has an accident on the floor I get a roll of paper towel and some carpet cleaner. But if one of these animals drops a deuce or urinates in your house, I'm thinking you'd have to move!
Posted by Chris Carlisle  on  Mon Mar 13, 2006  at  12:38 PM
This is the sixth post, and nobody has said, "Let the chips fall where they may?" You people are slacking...
Posted by booch  on  Mon Mar 13, 2006  at  01:31 PM
Caption for the first photo: "An' this hyar is whar we cooked & et yer big brother."
Posted by Blondin  on  Mon Mar 13, 2006  at  02:04 PM
Totally real. I live not far from these folks. Yes, they're nuts.
Posted by SME  on  Mon Mar 13, 2006  at  05:01 PM
What's Bailey reading in picture #2?
Posted by Big Gary in Heavener, Oklahoma  on  Tue Mar 14, 2006  at  07:26 AM
Hmmm, pet moose, pet bison...

When are we going to get a picture of somebody's pet hippo?
Preferably owned by a little person, of course.
Posted by Big Gary in Heavener, Oklahoma  on  Tue Mar 14, 2006  at  07:28 AM
I want a hippopotamus for Christmas
Only a hippopotamus will do
Don't want a doll, no dinky Tinker Toy
I want a hippopotamus to play with and enjoy

I want a hippopotamus for Christmas
I don't think Santa Claus will mind, do you?
He won't have to use our dirty chimney flue
Just bring him through the front door,
that's the easy thing to do

I can see me now on Christmas morning,
creeping down the stairs
Oh what joy and what surprise
when I open up my eyes
to see a hippo hero standing there

I want a hippopotamus for Christmas
Only a hippopotamus will do
No crocodiles, no rhinoceroses
I only like hippopotamuses
And hippopotamuses like me too

Mom says the hippo would eat me up, but then
Teacher says a hippo is a vegeterian

There's lots of room for him in our two-car garage
I'd feed him there and wash him there and give him his massage

I can see me now on Christmas morning,
creeping down the stairs
Oh what joy and what surprise
when I open up my eyes
to see a hippo hero standing there

I want a hippopotamus for Christmas
Only a hippopotamus will do
No crocodiles or rhinoceroseses
I only like hippopotamuseses
And hippopotamuses like me too!

John Rox
Posted by Big Gary in Heavener, Oklahoma  on  Tue Mar 14, 2006  at  07:32 AM
Am I the only one to see that those pictures are crapy photoshoped ones?
Aw, folks, really I can't belive that kind of bull***t could trick any body...

Wrong perspective, bad ligtning, wrong cast shadows... Everything is wrong.

Sorry, pals, my veredict is HOAX. Capitaliced.
Posted by Mikel  on  Tue Mar 14, 2006  at  10:39 AM
Capita-liced. Is that latin for head lice?
Posted by The Curator  in  San Diego  on  Tue Mar 14, 2006  at  08:59 PM
"more tame than most buffalo"? You think so, Sam? As a rule, buffalo are not domesticated animals. While this one, if not a pet, has at least mastered a light switch.
Posted by chyca  on  Wed Mar 15, 2006  at  07:30 PM
i ment this buffalo was naturally tamer then most buffalo, if someone tried this on another buffalo even a young one it wouldnt of worked, this buffalo was a runt & had to be looked after by the family or it wouldnt of survived

(unless this is a diffrent buffalo to the one on ripleys)
Posted by Samemo  on  Thu Mar 16, 2006  at  02:31 AM
Sorry about the "short description." There was a URL there, but the comments page didn't display it.

The American creature is a bison, but was misidentified by early european settlers, as related to the water buffalo of Asia.
Posted by cvirtue  on  Sun Mar 19, 2006  at  12:11 AM
hello i'm sherron and my husband rc. bridges
we have a pet buffalo named wildthing.,
he comes in our house,he rocks my husbands recliner.
he pulls a chairet,we ski behind him in our arena.
my husband rc. dances with him.,and he plays basketball.my husband is a cutting horse trainner and had the worlds 1st. buffalo cutting.,in 1996 in greenville texas at the horsemans club.we have videos and photos availabe.
rc. and sherron bridges
------------------------
ialmond.com/sherronsphotos
Posted by sherron bridges  on  Tue Mar 28, 2006  at  06:47 PM
well guys.,that buffalo could of been a runt,but the one i have is not,he was meaner than shit.he would tear into you.,but my husband and i worked everyday with him,he's friendly to us,but he does have pms sometimes.buffalo are not ment to be house pets we me and the man with his buffalo just happen to have good luck with ours.i give him praise cause theres alot of work to a buffalo,we have to keep ours away from the other buffalo,to help keep him tame...if my husband don't wan't to dance with wildthing,when wildthing wan'ts to dance wildthing gets his feelins hurt and he walks off pouting.
Posted by sherron bridges  on  Thu Mar 30, 2006  at  07:31 AM
This is so awesome!!
Posted by Tyler  on  Tue Sep 25, 2007  at  02:49 PM
hello,sherron here
we realy love our buffalo''wildthing''.
i think its cool to know that other buffalo have made there selfs in to there owners homes too.
wildthing has made it into ripleys believe it or not! and in guinness world records. for danceing with rc. bridges ''the buffalo tamer'' and for plowing,and pulling a chairet.,he pulls skis,and a snow sled,been on tv.,with the why guy channel 8 news,animal planet we have 10 contracts with them.2 contracts with americas home funniest videos,and 1 contract with country fried home videos.lake tawakoni.com made us a site with wildthing,photo's,links,and storys.look for the buffalo tamer and enjoy the story.sherron
Posted by sherron bridges  on  Tue Sep 25, 2007  at  04:27 PM
Hi, we have a 1 1/2 yr old buffalo calf named TONKA. He is my baby and we have raised him since birth. He is a sweet boy and a real joy to own! He LOVES to come in the house and anytime the door opens he is just like a dog and trying to sneak in! He also watches TV! He is currently in training to ride and pull a cart. My 3 yr old rides on him while i lead him and he will pull a drag in harness. He is doing VERY well! He is extreamly affectionate and thinks i am mom. I wouldn't recommend anyone try this but someone who is familur with bison or atleast cattle and horses to consider tameing a buffalo calf. It take MANY hours of work and commitment and the knowlage to teach them what they can and can't do so you and them are safe. Thanks!
Posted by Jessica Mays  on  Thu Oct 18, 2007  at  08:47 PM
This is Tillie Sautner's Grandson Darren and i would just like to say.......

that is pretty cool, i like having a pet buffalo as a relative in the family!!!
Posted by Darren Rarick  on  Tue Mar 10, 2009  at  01:19 AM
Did someone call Moose Docile???
Posted by Knoxville  on  Wed Jul 29, 2009  at  08:28 AM
i have found buffalo to be extremely smart,i have a 3yr old
Posted by pam duvall  on  Sun Nov 01, 2009  at  08:36 PM
Sharron, What tribe are you from?
Posted by Indianpony  on  Sat Nov 06, 2010  at  08:04 AM
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