Escaped water buffalo gores British traveller in Cambodia

A BRITISH tourist has been seriously injured after being attacked by a water buffalo on a Cambodian island.

Fiona Childs, 47, was gored in the legs as she walked through a forest. She was left writhing in agony as villagers tried to stem the flow of blood.

The teacher, pictured, was walking on a footpath to the beach on the island of Koh Rong Samloem when she was gored at 10.20am on Tuesday.

The animals, which have long, curved horns, can weigh more than half a ton.

Miss Childs, from Crawley, West Sussex, lives and works in Bangkok, Thailand. Police chief Pol Phosda said: ‘She probably got near it and ended up being butted. It’s hard to blame the owner because raising animals is part of their livelihood.’

The water buffalo, which had escaped from a nearby farm, was caught by soldiers. Its owner said it was unmanageable and has asked the military to kill it. He has agreed to pay Miss Childs’ medical expenses.

She was taken to hospital in Sihanoukville on the mainland. Her injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.