[JenAjd]

Seems there always has to be a conspiracy or controversy with _____fill in the blank! I tend to try to think "the best" of a situation instead of being cynical.

I am a recent resident here but had seen the buffalo the 1st time we came to visit 2 or 3 years ago. We have friends who've owned their place here for 13 years and they told us it was grandparents climbing the fence or placing their grandkids inside or both...someone got hurt so away with the animals due to the liability. People do crazy things and sometimes it affects everyone else. All other speculation aside...I tend to believe this one!!

[redwitch]

lol Gracie -- No, I'd go to them and watch them play. They really did like to butt heads around 2:00 am.

Phyllis, I don't think the Morses ever promised that the buffalo would be here forever but, from what I understand, it was implied and was certainly a big part of their advertising campaigns for a long time. I doubt that the nature preserves are technically permanent. If the developer chooses to drain them and build, he can and we'd be up in arms about that, too. I never said the developer didn't have the right to move the buffalo, I just miss them and so do many others. There was something majestic about those beasts and, regardless of the reason, there is something truly sad about them being moved and houses put up in their place.

[Larry Wilson]

We have lived here full time for 7 years. Loved the buffalo. Everybody did. There were no bulls in these pastures. Some cows were moved into barns to be bred. Then every spring there were calves born in the pastures. The residents really enjoyed these animals. Residents really fought to keep at least some of the buffalo.
There are many ways to fence that will take care of keeping humans and animals apart. People even offered to pay for these new fences.
Took the developer one day after moving the buffalo to start preparing the land for Creekside and was all built in 6 months. Worked around the clock with lights at night.
Since the pasture land has been turned into housing, I say actions speak louder than rumors.

[Barefoot]

Originally Posted by LI SNOWBIRD

Where oh where are the buffalo? We've been here since '05 and I really do miss them. Does anyone know exactly why they were removed and replaced with steer? I've heard that people were injured by them while petting/feeding and ignoring the warning sign. Sigh . I'm sure there were threads on this but I'd like it anew as would newbies.
The buffalo were a delight to Villagers and guests alike.
Thanks

The buffalo were removed from valuable land owned by the Developer and replaced with buildings. Which I'm sure was always the plan. I agree they were a delight. I miss the buffalo a lot, I loved seeing them in the pastures. But the Developer is doing what he does best, developing!

I'm sure a lot of us remember Joni Mitchell's "Big Yellow Taxi" ... "They paved paradise to put up a parking lot".

[rubicon]

No conspiracy or controversey suggested in my earlier post just an acknowledgment that as a businessman the Developer first used the buffalo as an attraction but had always planned on developing that land However I don't have to like what he did and I don't like overbuilding because it leads to overcrowding which is what occurred. If you don't believe it try crossing Old Mill Road between 9:00AM and on through the day In fact nothing the Developer does is spontaneous but carefully planned out

[Bogie Shooter]

The same thing will happen to the gators, folks stop and look at (some are seen throwing food over the fences). The gators will lose their fear of humans and start looking for a hand out. The trappers will be called in and the first thing they will do is put a bullet in the gators head. And then, woe is me why did the developer have the gators removed. We really do have some stupid nieghbors.

[rubicon]

We had a gator in our pond approx 10 feet. It is my understanding after a gator reaches approx 6 feet they are removed. In our situation the trapper lured him to shore and shot him/her. No one was feeding this gator. After the gator was removed from the pond, the pond was drained and the Developer built a house on it. Naw