CHIANG MAI – A buffalo drew social media attention after it was dramatically rescued in San Sai. Police rushed to help catch the buffalo that broke free during a funeral event, then later worked together to save its life and place it in a temple.
On the evening of March 13, 2026, officers from San Sai Police Station in Chiang Mai received a report of a buffalo running loose in Ban Rong Bon, San Na Meng Subdistrict, San Sai District. According to reporters, the buffalo had been tied up for butchering to prepare food for the funeral guests. However, it panicked and escaped, then sprinted across a rice field.
Soon after arriving, officers found the buffalo racing through rice fields and nearby farmland. Residents were alarmed because the animal was clearly terrified and could charge without warning. Because of that, police carefully tried to herd it away from homes and people. At the same time, they contacted the San Sai district livestock team for support.
According to residents, the chase took time, as the buffalo kept running and resisted being cornered. In the end, livestock officers used a tranquilizer dart to control the situation. After about 1 hour and 30 minutes, the team finally captured the animal safely.
Police then spoke with the owner and learned more about what happened before the escape. The owner said he bought the buffalo from Mae Taeng District for use as funeral food. Before it ran, he had tied it to a tree.
He had also struck the animal’s head three times with a sledgehammer, leaving visible wounds. Despite the injury, the buffalo snapped the rope and fled, running across parts of San Na Meng.
After the capture, many officers felt sympathy when they saw the wounds and how hard the buffalo fought to survive. As a result, the San Sai Police Superintendent, Pol. Col. Satitchai Nityawan, along with other officers, spoke with the owner and asked to buy the buffalo to spare its life. The owner agreed.
Finally, police transported the buffalo to Wat Latthiwan (Wat Phra Non Khon Tan) in Mae Rim District, Chiang Mai. The temple accepted the animal so it could live out its days in a safer place.
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