Oh, give me a home...

The conservationists at the Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center have been hard at work on a 16 acre restoration project that will feature different kinds of native grasses and trees in Central Texas as they might have existed 200 years ago - when the buffalo roamed. In a case of "if you build it they will come," a female bison showed up at the project the other day, and felt right at home.

The conservationists were elated; the Center managers less so. Families on picnics and a 2,000 pound ungulate don't mix well. There's a State Farm TV commercial that suggests that. So efforts began to "dart" the bison and deliver her back to her owner, a rancher in Manchaca who was unloading the buffalo, which he had just purchased in Colorado, when it broke loose and trotted away.

Only problem was, aptly-named Liberty, the bison,  liked the meadowland, and she was reluctant to be trundled off to some old cow pasture. Some animal control workers (read dog catchers) darted her but the dose was inadequate and Liberty just trotted off. So the next day they called in Animal Protection and Control for Austin and Travis County. They, in turn, called in a National Guard helicopter and sent "buffalo hunters" out to finish the job. It may interest you to know that a 2000 pound bison can effectively hide from searchers in a helicopter in a landscape dotted with scrub oak and ceder trees.

Since this is Austin, it didn't take long for a groundswell of support to appear on Liberty's behalf.  There were at least two Twitter accounts set up for her, @BuffaloAustin and @southatxbuffalo with tweets like:

BuffaloAustin Wildflower Buffalo

Don't taze me, bro! Don't taze me! #PoliceBrutality

BuffaloAustin Wildflower Buffalo

Listening to @Austin360Radio on my Android and they're playing Buffalo Soldier by Marley. Great way to start the weekend!

BuffaloAustin Wildflower Buffalo

@UTexasMBA Do you offer advanced degrees for advanced bovines? #EducateTheBison

BuffaloAustin Wildflower Buffalo

Yes, I am here, and I'm here in ATX. Many have tried and failed to find me. Bring it on, slugger! #BisonCamo #sillyhumans

 So after almost a week of playing an embarrassing game of "Where's Liberty?" the officials called in a "consultant" to find the scofflaw. What that actually means is they hired a local hunter who put boots on the ground, tracked Liberty down the old-fashioned way, and helped her take a nap while the officials huffed and puffed  and loaded her on the trailer and took her to her real home in south Travis County.

I'm just wondering; once she's seen the Wildflower Meadowland, are they going to be able to keep her down on the farm?