Owner of severed bison’s head in Colorado forgot to tell roommates

Police in Boulder, Colo., have figured out why a severed bison head mysteriously turned up Sunday on a decorative rock in a local resident's front yard.

The truth was more innocuous than a Western-themed ode to one of The Godfather's most disturbing scenes. The bison head belongs to someone who lives in the house who forgot to tell his roommates about the disturbing temporary lawn ornament.

A police spokeswoman, Kim Kobel, said authorities first made sure to rule out an attack on the University of Colorado's mascot, a buffalo named Ralphie.

With Ralphie's safety assured, police discovered that the bison head came from a recently slaughtered buffalo at a Nebraska ranch. The head's new owner told police he was simply drying out his "souvenir" so it could be displayed on a wall inside the house.

Kobel said her department would not release the names of the housemates involved.