[SteveFromNY]

So I've been reading about how everyone is so sad that "their" buffalo have been removed because the developer is being sued because some "stupid people" got too close....

And I have to post this counter thread in defense of these "stupid people"..

I do not consider myself a stupid person really, but my first up-close-and-personal meeting with a buffalo happened in Yellowstone, at the Fishing Bridge Campground. Woke up and looked out the RV window only to see a huge bull just standing up the road a few yards from the camper. Just standing there, like I said, doing nothing. Until then I had never seen a buffalo other than in old cowboy movies, and honestly never gave a thought to their capability to hurt people. After all, he was just hanging around, all by himself. Well we all went over and started taking pictures with him. We didn't touch him (he was about the size of a mini-van), but we stood pretty close. Fortunately, the bull didn't do anything. But later I read some pamphlet or book that talked about how people are gored every year at Yellowstone by buffalo, and that single males (I think it said they've been tossed from the herd) are particularly ornery. you should saty away. Well I guess I was just stupid, and we got away lucky.

Now, this huge, undomesticated animal is taken from his home on the high plains and moved to a pen in Florida by the developer. It's a novelty, it's a tax deduction. But it's also a 1/2 ton locomotive with the ability to easily topple small trees for play (I watched them do it in Yellowstone), and it's on the other side of a fence made mostly of 1x6's. In the right mood, these animals could easily charge and demolish that fence.

They were a great novelty, and I did like looking at them, but the fact that people got hurt, stupid or not, should send the message that maybe they don't belong in close proximity to people.

And even from the first day, I never expected them there after the build out - there would be no need for the developers agricultural deduction. Moving them now is merely accelerating that activity in my mind.

If you think about a pair of scissors left on the coffee table, and the 2 year old who picks them up and runs around the house with them, who's fault is it if the child gets hurt? Certainly no one is going to blame the "stupid child", because he doesn't know better. So if someone who's never been close to a buffalo all of a sudden finds one in what looks like a cow pasture, and there is a big brown cow-looking animal in there, especially with a cute little calf, who's fault is it if they get hurt? I think if they put lions in there everyone would call the developer stupid. But another wild animal is OK? I don't get it.

[diskman]

[graciegirl]

Steve.

Your argument sounds like a good one to me.

I haven't met the TV buffalo so I have not "bonded" with them, if a person can with a large, furry, smelly, not very pretty animal who produces large round flat poop. I must say their kids are kinda cute, at least in pictures.

It isn't the end of the world and we in TV have lost some "bragging rights" to be sure. When I get to the part about the buffalo, my listener usually has a glazed look in their eyes anyway.

We will go on.We must. ;D

[redwitch]

Sorry, but basic common sense says you stay away from wild animals, especially those bigger and heavier than you. The developer did have signs, just not enough.

I do understand how people might think it is okay to feed them and I blame the developer for this stupidity. They really needed to build double fences from the beginning. They needed more signage. It was not well thought out, especially not as TV grew and word of mouth didn't get to everyone as I'm sure it did in the past.

Even so, TV has advertised the buffalo as one of the amenities. I am truly saddened they are being taken away. I know they are not "ours" per se, but my heart thinks they were part of TV -- for me, a bigger part than the music in the squares. I really could and did sit for long periods just watching them. When it was cool and they were awake, watching them run and play was a joy. When it was warm, I liked watching them roll in the dirt. I liked those big, smelly, flat-pooping critters. I will truly miss them.

[samhass]

Well said, Gracie!

Originally Posted by graciegirl

Steve.

Your argument sounds like a good one to me.

I haven't met the TV buffalo so I have not "bonded" with them, if a person can with a large, furry, smelly, not very pretty animal who produces large round flat poop. I must say their kids are kinda cute, at least in pictures.

It isn't the end of the world and we in TV have lost some "bragging rights" to be sure. When I get to the part about the buffalo, my listener usually has a glazed look in their eyes anyway.

We will go on.We must. ;D

[Muncle]

Steve, good comments. It's difficult to see things from another's point of view, especially once there's such an emotional rush. Logic never stands a chance against emotion.

Speaking of stupid, though, I think it applied to me. I read your statement : "that single males (I think it said they've been tossed from the herd) are particularly ornery. you should stay away." Being a single male, I took that rather personally and I guess was agitated just enough that I read the word ornery as horny. Close enough, but it did change the meaning a tad and added insult to injury. Then I pulled an Emily Latella --- never mind.

[SteveFromNY]

Originally Posted by Muncle

Steve, good comments. It's difficult to see things from another's point of view, especially once there's such an emotional rush. Logic never stands a chance against emotion.

Speaking of stupid, though, I think it applied to me. I read your statement : "that single males (I think it said they've been tossed from the herd) are particularly ornery. you should stay away." Being a single male, I took that rather personally and I guess was agitated just enough that I read the word ornery as horny. Close enough, but it did change the meaning a tad and added insult to injury. Then I pulled an Emily Latella --- never mind.

Muncle - once again you've made me LOL!!!

[graciegirl]

Muncle, Muncle Muncle. : : : :

[Sidney Lanier]

Ah, how I miss Gilda Radner.... Can you believe we just passed the 19th anniversary of her death?!

Maybe this is apples versus oranges, but in an unrelated post I mentioned our learning while on safari in Kenya that the animal that most frequently harmed humans was the buffalo. They may look cute, but they are indeed wild animals....

I used to get such a chuckle riding the golf cart down Parr Drive from Belvedere to Lauren Manor seeing the signs about survivors being prosecuted. Well, if they're gone, they're gone. I agree: Life goes on!

[Wannabee]

Thanks so much Steve.. My hubby and I really aren't "stupid people" really When we were visiting we did NOT see any signs and EVERYONE we talked to said "oh yes you can go up to the fence & feed carrots etc." Well Danny boy being the adventurous soul that he is went up to the fence and almost got his arm tore off.
I agree people get sue happy but I do think that it very negligent on the part of TV not to protect "us idiots" by more signage or doublefencing
Hey I have even seen MANY posts here b4 the big hoopla with people telling all about their afternoons spent feeding the buffaloes.....where are those people now?
Ok I will go hide under my bed while you throw rotten eggs Love you all, can't wait to come back in Jan. 08... if you let us

[Barefoot]

Originally Posted by redwitch

Sorry, but basic common sense says you stay away from wild animals, especially those bigger and heavier than you.

Dee, I totally agree.

[Russ_Boston]

It's pretty simple actually - Morse INC. is not in the zoo business. As a future member of the TV HOA I think it is lucky that we escaped with relatively minor law suits (I'm assuming that the amounts being sought are minor). It was a nice 'talking point' but it had run its course.