SOUTH PARK, Pa. — Members of a local animal conservationist group are calling for action after they say county workers sprayed them with chemicals Tuesday morning.
It happened at the South Park Buffalo Preserve during the morning feeding.
“This is just the height of stupidity,” Timoth Foster said. He and his wife Diane founded the group “Friends of the South Park Buffalo Preserve.”
For the last three years, they’ve hosted a public feeding of the animals every Tuesday and Friday.
“It’s happy. It’s relaxing. It’s soothing,” Timothy said.
Group members were watching the animals eat and drink around 10 a.m. when the mood changed.
“The Buffalo put their heads up, looked around and in unison, scattered like a stampede out of there,” Timothy said.
The people scattered, too. Timothy said a strong smell hit the group and two county workers drove by spraying something.
“The spray was going everywhere,” Timothy said. “They drove further along the fence and that’s when we heard them laughing.”
Foster says his initial concern was for a four-week-old calf.
“That obviously puts the younger ones in danger when you have a 2,000-pound animal running next to a 60 or 70-pound animal.”
She was fine, but some of the humans weren’t.
“I was nauseous. I had headaches,” he said.
The Fosters told Channel 11 there have been incidents in the past, but none this bad.
They are calling on the county to step in with improved communication and more.
“Let us know you’re going to be spraying,” Diane said.
“I would certainly hope it’s the last straw. This is actionable. This is an assault,” Timothy said.
We have reached out to county officials. A spokesperson tells us they are investigating.
Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW
©2026 Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/XCUXZC2XYZHCRGNNGKFEX6U3LQ.png)
