An Oklahoma man was killed on Friday in an attack by two water buffalos he had purchased at auction the day before.
Police in Jones, Oklahoma, said they received a call at 8:30 p.m. that Bradley McMichael had been attacked by the water buffalo that evening, The Hill reported.
“This wasn’t his first experience handling livestock,” McMichael’s girlfriend Jennifer Green said. “He knew what precautions to take, but livestock are unpredictable and things happen.”
“It’s part of the risk of being involved with something like that,” Green said.
Police said they were unable to get to McMichael at first because one of the water buffalos was too aggressive. After authorities put the animal down, they found McMichael with “multiple deep lacerations that proved to be fatal,” according to the report.
Police said the second water buffalo became aggressive while they were at the scene, so they had to put it down, too.
“We take those animals for granted because they’re docile and they are kind and gentle for the most part, but you need to be worried because every moment you’re in that field, you are in danger because the animal could decide otherwise and there’s not much you can do,” said McMichael’s friend Matthew Clary.
An investigation revealed McMichael had purchased the water buffalos at auction on Thursday. Green said he “was in good spirits” that night and was in “the best mood I’ve seen him in a while.”
His family members called McMichael larger than life and said he died doing what he loved, the report details.
“Everybody knew him. He grew up here. His family been here for a long time. He loved farming. He loved his livestock,” Green said.
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