Is the buffalo man`s best friend? We suspect that is the case with this buffalo and his owner, Jim Sautner. And believe it or not, this buffalo rides shotgun in a modified sedan. And owner Jim Sautner says he modified this Sedan so the Buffalo can ride with him to the bar. Apparently this riding Buffalo is frequent in bars where he drinks beer and is tearing up the dance floor. So, maybe a Buffalo arriving at a bar may seem like the start of a very funny joke, but better believe that this is no joke, it frequently happens with this dynamic duo.
The name of this bar loving buffalo is Bailey Jr. and it`s a 16.000 pounds male bison. The car in which this buffalo loves to cruise is even modified so that this bison needs can be met. The car is a 1985 Pontiac Parisienne. The top of this convertible was sawed off and its floorboards were totally reinforced so that plenty of support can be given to Bailey Jr. – the riding buffalo.
The owner of this riding buffalo is a rancher who was in the bison industry in the past, having up to 350 buffalos in his herd. Unfortunately he sold out 4 years ago, but he didn`t want to let go of another bison Bailey Sr. (Not in a relation to Bailer Jr.). There was a great bond between the owner Jim Sautner and Bailey Sr. When Bailey Sr. died, Jim was devastated. He and his wife wrapped Bailey Sr. body in a canvas tarp and buried him, after which they put yellow flowers in his grave.
Jim was surprised two weeks later when he had a phone call from a friend who was a buffalo ranch owner. She called to say that one of her buffalos had died during childbirth and to ask Jim would he want to take the baby. And this was the beginning of a great bond and partnership between ranch owner Jim Sautner and the great riding buffalo Bailey Jr.
Just to say how lucky Bailey Jr. is we are going to mention that not all buffalos are boozing and cruising. Many buffalo breeds are actually endangered. According to the IUCN Red List, there are less than 200 water buffalos in the world due to hunting and changes in water flow.
Finally, if you want to see other unusual pets that you can have, follow this link!