Jeffree Star’s favorite yak has been killed by lightning on his Casper ranch.
The social media personality, entrepreneur and “makeup mogul” announced the death of “Buster,” a 7-year-old male yak, on Thursday. The yak died June 25 after being struck by lightning on the Star Yak Ranch.
Star said his heart was “completely broken” and described Buster’s death as “one of those things you never think will happen until it does.”
“If you’ve followed my ranch journey, you already know Buster wasn’t just ‘a yak,’” he wrote. “He was the king of the pasture, the biggest lover, the snack inspector & somehow always knew exactly where I was. He had the kind of personality you just can’t explain. You had to meet him.”
Star hoped his favorite yak was “somewhere up there stealing everyone’s treats and acting like you own the place … because let’s be real, you always did.”
Cowboy State Daily was unable to reach the Star Yak Ranch by publication time.
'A Lot More Unique'
Star started the 500-acre Star Yak Ranch in 2021. The ranch claims to have more than 500 yaks, some of which are processed into meat products sold online and at The Jeffree Star Store: Makeup & Meat, which opened in Casper in 2023.
Thirteen camels also live on the Star Yak Ranch. The ranch doesn’t sell any camel products.
Buster was one of the ranch’s breeding bulls. Star shared a video of him giving Buster and some of “his ladies” some treats as recently as two weeks ago.
In a post from earlier this year, Star shared a video of him scratching Buster, with the tagline, “I love animals more than people.”
A still from that video was used when Star announced Buster’s death.
Cowboy State Daily interviewed Wade Wohl, the general manager of the Star Yak Ranch, in July 2023. The ranch had 300 yaks at the time.
“I’ve worked on a number of ranches throughout Wyoming,” Wohl said. “Mainly cattle, and I have worked around swine. Yaks have definitely been a learning process, but it’s fun. Yaks are definitely a lot more unique than a regular beef cow.”
Wohl said each of Star’s yaks ate 25 pounds of hay per day, and the herd required 4,000 to 6,000 gallons of water every two days. The Casper Landfill was eagerly taking all the yaks’ waste.
“The landfill has basically told us they will take as much manure as we can possibly give them,” he said. “That’s what they make their compost out of.”
Lightning Strikes
All livestock are susceptible to lightning strikes, including celebrity animals.
Larry, a 15-year-old camel, was killed by lightning while out on the Chipeta Ranch near Steamboat Springs, Colorado, in July 2025. The camel had been a fixture at several annual events in northern Colorado for years.
“Everybody loved Larry,” Tracy DelliQuadri, a volunteer at the Chipeta Ranch, told Cowboy State Daily. “He was a beloved member of the family, a member of the ranch, and a member of the (Troublesome Horse Rescue and Rehabilitation Inc). He can't be and won't be replaced.”
Star seemed to have similar feelings about his dearly departed yak.
“Love you forever, Buster,” he wrote. “Thank you for every smile you put on our faces, every memory and every moment.”
Andrew Rossi can be reached at arossi@cowboystatedaily.com.
