One person was killed and another received serious injuries when a buffalo lost control on Sunday in the central province of Ha Tinh.

Experts warn danger from veterinary job as a untrained vet killed by a buffalo. 

Bui Van Hien, a vet in the province’s Huong Long Commune, was impaled by the horns of the buffalo while vaccinating the cattle.

Witnesses said the buffalo lost control right after Hien injected the vaccine in the thigh of its rear leg and rammed its horns into the vet and its owner, who were both inside its cage.

Hien died on the spot, with the bull’s horns going through his chest. The owner was taken to a local hospital with serious injuries.

According to commune chairman Nguyen Quoc Viet, Hien worked as a freelance vet and was not trained at any professional veterinary school.

Locals suspect that when Hien poked the buffalo with the needle, it scared the animal, resulting in the retaliatory attack. The buffalo had been reared to haul wood from the adjacent forest to the commune for the past eight years.

Many vets who practice in Viet Nam have not been trained in veterinary skills. They learn through practice and experience. 

VNS