Two buffalos charged onto a pedestrian road in Pui O Thursday morning, ramming into a group of schoolchildren and injuring 10.
Three of the children were sent to hospital, according to Transit Jam, including one who was briefly knocked unconscious. Another child suffered chest injuries, while the third suffered injuries to the hands and face.
Dashcam footage posted online showed the two buffalos running along South Lantau Road before stampeding onto a pavement.
The three children were sent to North Lantau Hospital. Seven other children were also hurt but did not require hospital treatment. All were eight and nine years old.
According to HK01, the two buffaloes chasing each other were father and son. Jean Leung Siu-wah, nicknamed “buffalo mother” for taking care of buffalos in the area, told the media outlet that the older buffalo had been known as the “king” of the herd in Pui O for 10 years, until he suffered severe injuries earlier this year after being attacked by three dogs. Weak and dejected, the 22-year-old buffalo left his territory behind and spent almost four months in neighboring Mui Wo.
The buffalo only recently returned to Pui O, Siu said. The morning of the incident, he encountered his son, who had become “king” in his absence. The son chased the aged buffalo down a road, and the pair ended up charging into the group of schoolchildren on a pedestrian road.
Siu later reached out to the school to understand the children’s injuries, HK01 reported.
According to the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD), there are around 120 heads of buffalo across Lantau Island and parts of the New Territories, including Sai Kung and Ma On Shan.
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