The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) allegedly euthanised a stray buffalo calf after it was hit by a minibus at Tai Mo Shan on Monday evening.
Pictures apparently taken after the crash sparked outrage after they were posted on Facebook Monday evening. According to the uploader, surnamed Man, the Tsuen Wan-bound minibus hit the young water buffalo as it was going down a slope. In the pictures, the vehicle responsible is parked just in front of the calf, which was lying on the ground with wounds on one of its horns.
“Called the police, waiting for the AFCD to come and put down the buffalo. It is in pain,” Man said. It’s unclear whether the driver has been arrested.
Netizens expressed their shock and anger at the news, and said it was “almost impossible” that the driver didn’t see “such a massive animal”. “[Buffalo] take steps one by one and they could never be faster than cars! I bet the driver wasn’t even looking at what’s in front while driving!” one commenter said. “Many selfish and ignorant drivers assume the animal would run away by itself, but they don’t know if it’s too old or deaf, blind or even injured,” said another.
As of 2013, there were approximately 1,100 heads of stray brown cattle and around 120 heads of water buffalo in Hong Kong, AFCD’s figures show.
Stray cattle- and buffalo-related traffic incidents are becoming increasingly common in recent years. In June 2013, one extreme case saw eight feral cattle struck and killed by a car on Lantau Island. A woman, whose vehicle was found with animal hair and blood, was arrested in connection to the incident and was later fined HKD5,000 for failing to give information to police, SCMP reports.
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