Tropic Thunder’s Water Buffalo

From small dogs to big-horned buffalo, head trainer Shawn Weber has done it all. Read more as he discusses with the Los Angeles Times what it was like to have a water buffalo on set.

——

This water buffalo is ready for her close-up!

In Sunday’s Calendar section, Cristy Lytal tells an entertaining tale of how animal trainers Shawn Weber (on the right in the photo) with Scott Davis (on the left) got a docile, 1,500-pound cow ready for her close-up in the country’s number one movie, “Tropic Thunder”.

While many of the top-billed actors were shoo-ins for their roles, the water buffalo was one member of the cast that was absolutely required to audition. Director and star Stiller selected her from a lineup of three animals. “She had the best horns,” says Weber. “Their horns vary. Some are really huge, and some are not as big and not quite as pretty. He picked the right one, that’s for sure. I remember one time on the set, it started raining and we had her out there, and we had these tents. And she just walked in there like a dog. ‘Hey, how you doing? Pet my ears.’ She’s really, really good.”

We hope she has a great agent as Hollywood can be a tough town for any species.

See the full article here: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/unleashed/2008/08/this-water-buff.html