Buffalo Wranglers
by Al Ratcliffe
CBS 42 News
2007-11-12 11:40:18.0
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There are plenty of jobs around Alabama you can get dirty doing, but there's one that's unique.
Chad Basinger and Duryea Truss have very important jobs at the Anniston Army Depot. Truss makes sure you can get where you're going.
"Basically everything that deals with the roads and grounds on the depot comes up my supervision," said Truss.
And Basinger handles just about everything green or walks on four legs.
"Primary duty is forestry wildlife, natural resources in general."
But those are their real jobs. This is their other one, buffaloes. Three buffaloes are kept in a seven acre pen for just about everyone to see.
"So that when we have visitors from off depot, they can see the buffalo up here and that's more or less like the image of the depot, the buffalo," said Truss.
For years, the buffalo have been an icon for the depot, and their pictures are on all types of depot information. Just like their cousins the cows, the buffaloes, or bison, roam around and eat. But for the guys that take care of them they're more than a farm animal.
"They're a big pet. I mean they're known all around the depot," said Basinger.
So what does it take to take care of a buffalo? First of all you have to feed them. First is grain or sweet feed to provide the bulk of their nutrition.
"Hey, sweet heart. Yeah, I'm going to bring you some more food. It's the good stuff."
And bales of hay. But the hay provides more than just variety and fiber for their diet.
"You can throw a bale of hay out here and you can just see 'em kick it with their nose push it up in the air. They love playing with it. Sometimes its like a little soccer ball to them,” said Basinger.
Basinger and Truss say dealing with the buffaloes isn't all that dirty except when they're changing them from one side of the pen to the other. But they say they do have to watch their step.
But Basinger says the little land mines the buffaloes leave behind are a bomb they don't generally have to deal with.
"Usually the rotating them out and when they come in to cut the grass and everything, it usually takes car of it self," said Basinger.
And whether he steps in something or not, Basinger says coming out here to check on the depots official pets is like a breath of fresh air.
"It is a fun part, to come out and get to play with the animals. There's not many animals out here you can play with, but it's neat," said Basinger.
The depot has had as many as ten buffaloes. The original herd was brought in during the early 70's. The three buffaloes in our story were brought to Anniston almost five years ago.
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