Athlete gives buffalo new place to roam

Philadelphia 76ers center Matt Geiger rescued the animals and brought them to his home. One from the herd was too sick to be saved.

By EILEEN SCHULTE

© St. Petersburg Times, published July 16, 2000

EAST LAKE -- No bull: Buffalo roam Matt Geiger's home.

The 7-foot-1 NBA center has such a soft spot for gentle giants that he recently rescued a mini-herd of 10 skinny buffalo from a Hudson farm hit hard by the spring drought.

Weeks ago, he had them transported to his 100-acre compound. The buffalo now live in a padlocked pasture near his partially constructed 26,000-square-foot mansion. Geiger, 30, who has a $52-million contract with the Philadelphia 76ers, is a graduate of Clearwater's Countryside High School.

"I've always been an animal lover, but I've never had a buffalo," Geiger said, adding he has friends who own exotic animals.

A healthy buffalo, Geiger said, can sell for up to $3,000.

But these animals were far from healthy when he got them. Upon their arrival at Geiger's estate, they had lost 25 percent of their body weight and their ribs were visible. Geiger paid $300 each.

"They would have died if Matt didn't (buy them)," said Mark Geiger, Matt Geiger's twin brother.

The beasts are recovering nicely by nibbling hay and what could be described as buffalo candy: a tasty grain, sweet corn and apple mixture that seems to melt on their enormous bluish tongues.

Last week, still sweating from playing tennis, Geiger, his pal Mike, and pet Doberman pinscher, Demi, walked from the court down a shady path to the pasture. Geiger unlocked the padlock and swung the gate open. All three walked through. Demi tagged along until Geiger got close to the herd.

Then the dog hung back, not venturing closer than 20 feet from the buffalo. It glanced at Geiger every so often, seeming to hope he would walk away from the strange beasts.

The herd was gathered in a corner of the pasture. While Mike stayed behind a wooden fence within the enclosure, Geiger, looking less like a farmer and more like a basketball player with his shaved head, tattoos, long red shorts and tennis shoes, walked toward the animals. They lifted their heads and began to walk toward him.

"They know Big Pappa," Geiger said.

Geiger made his way to a trough, propped himself up on it and scooped up a handful of tasty feed. He held it out to the largest bull, which snorted and ate it out of his hand, its soft lips touching Geiger's palm. The bull seemed to like Geiger, looked at him with huge, watery brown eyes.

A smaller bull, the females and a very young calf with spindly legs watched.

At home on their little range, Geiger has arranged for the very best care for the buffalo; they are protected from flies with insecticides and tended by a veterinarian from Lowry Park Zoo who gives Geiger advice on buffalo care.

But all the vets in the world couldn't save one female member of the herd.

Already in poor condition, it was so stressed out from the move that it stopped eating. A veterinarian informed Geiger that nothing more could be done; it was too sick to live. So a caretaker and Geiger's brother shot it.

Geiger plans to hang the skull on the horse barn and fashion the outer portion of the horns into beer mugs.

While Geiger saved the buffalo, the state requires anyone who owns such animals to have a game farm license for them, said Lt. Linda Harrison, inspections operations officer for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Harrison said a lot of people think "buffalo are an adjunct to cattle" and are not aware a license is required. She said state records did not show a license for the buffalo under Geiger's name, but she said it could be under another name.

Although buffalo are considered unpredictable, Geiger said his herd is pretty tame. Some will allow a stranger to pet them on the nose.

So far the buffalo have not charged or injured anyone. Still, Geiger said he is cautious because he knows they have the ability to "kick straight sideways."

And here's another word of warning to strangers tempted to ignore the "No trespassing" signs and venture onto the Geiger property to get a look at the herd, the house or the pool: Don't try it.

Like a rancher from the old west, Geiger said, "If you come onto the property, you may be met by a gun, possibly held by me."

- Staff writer Eileen Schulte can be reached at (727) 445-4229 or schulte@sptimes.com.

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