Buffalo Gets Head Stuck in Tractor Wheel – Rescue Team Saves the Day in Buriram

Picture courtesy of Matichon.

In a bizarre and somewhat humorous, but heartwarming incident, rescue workers in Buriram province were called to assist an unlikely victim: a two-year-old female buffalo named Somwang, who had somehow managed to get her head stuck inside the wheel of a walk-behind tractor.

The rescue occurred in Khok Khamin subdistrict, Plubplachai district, after the animal’s distressed owner, 54-year-old Mrs. Soma-ang, discovered Somwang struggling and thrashing near a hay storage shed on her farm.

According to Mrs. Soma-ang, her husband had earlier removed the tractor wheel and leaned it against a support post inside the shed. At some point, the curious buffalo, likely in search of grass, had poked her head into the wheel and become tightly wedged. The animal’s large horns made it impossible to reverse out.

Alarmed by the sight and the commotion, the family called on neighbours to help, but despite the efforts of 5–6 villagers, they were unable to free Somwang due to the horns blocking all exit angles.

After more than two hours, with the buffalo growing visibly weak, Mrs. Soma-ang’s son contacted the Sawang Chanya Tham Rescue Unit, who arrived promptly with specialised rescue tools. The team used hydraulic spreaders to gently force the wheel’s metal apart and eventually freed Somwang after around 30 minutes of careful manoeuvring.

Apart from minor scrapes, the buffalo escaped unscathed, to the relief of her family and onlookers. “It was hard to know whether to laugh or cry,” said Mrs. Soma-ang. “We were all worried, but once she was free, everyone was laughing and shaking their heads at how she got stuck in the first place!”

The incident has since gone viral on Thai social media, where netizens praised the rescue team for their calm and effective response and Somwang for her resilience and charm.

  Adapted by Asean Now from Matichon 2025-07-22