St. Mary’s County, MD — An 83-year-old buffalo farmer well known in his community was injured after one of his animals suddenly charged at him Monday morning. Dick Wildes, who has raised buffalo for more than four decades, says this was the first incident of its kind in his 43 years of ownership.
Wildes was flown to a nearby hospital with arm and leg injuries but is expected to recover.
The Incident
The attack happened around 6:30 a.m. as Wildes was feeding his two buffalo, Indy and Dozer. Without warning, Dozer charged.
“They said it just happened so fast, I did a cartwheel and I saw the sky in the air, next thing I knew I was on the ground,” Wildes recalled.
The buffalo’s horns caused serious injuries, but Wildes managed to escape the enclosure.
“It could have been worse. If I couldn’t get out of there, he could have come at me again, and I could have been in big trouble,” he added.
First responders quickly arrived, stabilized him, and transported him to the hospital by helicopter. Sgt. James Cawley of St. Mary’s EMS admitted the call was unlike anything he had ever seen.
“The notes were male struck by buffalo. It was one of those, is this really something that I just read? And it was,” Cawley said.
Community Reaction
News of the attack spread quickly through the small St. Mary’s County community. Neighbors described Wildes and his buffalo farm as a local fixture.
- Families often stop to watch the buffalo from the roadside.
- At one time, Wildes had as many as 30 buffalo on his property.
- Now, only two remain — Indy and Dozer.
“They’re a landmark,” said neighbor Donna Phelan. “A lot of times if we’re trying to tell people where we live, we say we’re right around the corner from the buffalo farm.”
Another resident told FOX 5 DC that generations of families have come to see Wildes’ herd.
“We’ve been bringing our children here, now we bring our grandchildren here,” Phelan said, adding she was relieved Wildes will be okay.
Wildes expressed gratitude for the support:
“I appreciate them with all the comments they’ve made. But it’s also been good for me to have such a good network of friends and family.”
What’s Next for Dozer
Wildes admitted the incident left him shaken. Over the last few years, he has worked to reduce the size of his herd. Now, he is unsure whether he can continue to trust being alone with Dozer.
- He is considering whether Dozer can remain on his property.
- Relocation to another facility is one possible option.
- No decision has been made yet as Wildes continues to recover.
Though this was a painful setback, the longtime farmer remains thankful for his survival and the community that has rallied around him.
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