Buffalo Tom

A man who took one of his pet buffaloes for a ride at a ranch north of Phoenix on New Year's Eve ended up being bucked off the animal and trampled, authorities said.

The unidentified 75-year-old man was flown to a Scottsdale hospital with non-life threatening injuries after the incident in rural Cave Creek, a chief with the Rural/Metro Fire Department said.

"He saddled up, got bucked off and was mauled," said John Kraetz, a district chief for the fire department. Kraetz said he's never been on a similar call.

"People do have buffalo on their property, but it's pretty darn uncommon," he said.