Owner Releases 27 Buffalo to Graze, 4 Go Missing and Found Trapped in 3-Meter Deep Pit
Four buffalo fell into a 3-meter-deep pit in Nakhon Nayok after the owner released 27 to graze; a five-hour rescue operation successfully freed all animals, including a pregnant female that required a backhoe to widen the pit.
At 6 p.m. on May 17, 2026, 78-year-old Samphao Satree from Moo 6, Khao Phra Subdistrict, Mueang District, Nakhon Nayok Province, released 27 buffalo to graze in a rice paddy. However, four animals went missing. When the owner searched for them, he discovered all four had fallen into a 7-meter-wide, 3-meter-deep excavation pit and immediately contacted the subdistrict administrative office, village headman, and rescue volunteers for assistance.
When officials and volunteers arrived, they successfully pulled two young buffalo, each about 18 months old, out of the pit using ropes. The remaining two buffalo—a 4-year-old female and a 6-year-old pregnant female—remained stuck. Because the pregnant buffalo could not be safely extracted with ropes due to her condition, authorities requested a backhoe from the provincial administrative organization. The equipment was used to widen the pit's opening and create steps, allowing the pregnant buffalo to walk out on her own. The rescue operation took nearly five hours to safely retrieve all four animals.
