Around 8 a.m., fishermen in Cua Lo ward spotted the buffalo adrift at sea. They called for help, and along with local authorities, used boats and canoes to guide the animals back to shore. Nearly an hour later, the 4 adult buffalo, weighing between 250 and 300 kg, were safely brought back to land.

"The buffalo were tired and disoriented, but none were injured," Cua Lo ward police said, adding that it was unclear how long the animals had been adrift.

Locals and authorities use canoes to bring the buffalo back to shore. Image from video clip

Locals and authorities use canoes to bring the buffalo back to shore. Image from video clip

Some locals initially considered slaughtering the buffalo, but were prevented by local authorities and police. The Cua Lo ward police then issued a notice to find the owner of the animals.

Later that morning, a family from Vinh Loc ward (formerly Nghi Phong commune) came forward, claiming ownership of the buffalo. After verifying the information, the police returned the animals.

The owner explained that the buffalo had wandered off 4 days earlier, and despite searching extensively, the family couldn't find them. The location where the buffalo were found was about 4 to 5 km from where they went missing.

A disoriented buffalo swims in the sea off Cua Lo beach on the morning of 24/7 before being rescued. Video provided by locals

Cua Lo ward police confirmed that the buffalo were not swept downstream from any rivers. "It's possible that the buffalo were grazing in the fields when strong winds disoriented them and they wandered off. They may have seen the sea, decided to go for a swim, and then couldn't get back to shore," the police added.

Le Hoang