Philippine buffalo gores Australian pensioner to death

MANILA, Philippines—A pregnant water buffalo gored an Australian pensioner to death in the Philippines after the man slammed into the beast while driving home from a nightclub on his motorbike, police said Tuesday.

The force of the blow to the man’s stomach detached the horn from the huge animal’s head, police said.

Terrence Binney, a 60-year-old retired soldier, accidentally rammed into the animal at night as he rode along a village road in the farming town of Victoria, near Manila, said police officer Ronald Sumilang.

The buffalo retaliated by impaling Binney with one of its horns, the officer said.

“You know how it is with carabaos, they attack and gore people if provoked,” Sumilang told AFP by telephone.

Water buffaloes, or carabaos, as they are locally known, grow between two and three meters (6.6-9.8 feet) tall and can weigh between 400 and 900 kilos (880-2,000 pounds).

Sumilang said the beast, which was owned by a local farmer, had got free from its tether in the driving rain.

A local hospital pronounced Binney dead after the incident on June 19.

Binney’s Filipina wife has yet to decide whether to press charges against the farmer, the officer added.

The farmer could be liable for negligence resulting in manslaughter, which is punishable by up to six years in jail, Sumilang added.

“The owner gave a statement yesterday and asked for forgiveness. He said his family is very poor and nobody wanted this thing to happen,” the policeman added.

The buffalo remains in the farmer’s custody, he added.

The Australian embassy could not be reached for comment.