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Tourist left bruised after wild buffalo charges her twice
🇦🇺 Australia /Disasters & Emergencies

Tourist left bruised after wild buffalo charges her twice

From ABC Australia · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • Two tourists were attacked by a feral buffalo while walking to Butterfly Gorge in Nitmiluk National Park near Katherine, Northern Territory.
  • Emma Hipwell, 21, suffered bruising and scratches after the buffalo knocked her down and charged again.
  • Parks officials said nearly 350 buffalo had been removed from the park in May and advised visitors to back away slowly if they encounter one.

Emma Hipwell and Hattie Frdelja were walking toward Butterfly Gorge when a feral buffalo appeared just five to 10 metres ahead of them. The two 21-year-old tourists from Victoria froze as other hikers shouted warnings from farther down the trail.

Hipwell said she could tell from the animal’s eyes that it was ready to attack. The buffalo pushed her over, ran away, then turned back and tossed her onto the ground a second time. “We just screamed and screamed and yelled 'Help! Help!'” Frdelja said.

We just screamed and screamed and yelled 'Help! Help!'

— Hattie FrdeljaShe described the tourists’ reaction after the buffalo knocked Emma Hipwell down.

Other hikers, who had also encountered the buffalo, came to their aid after escaping down the gorge. Hipwell said the attack happened in an enclosed section of the track, where neither the tourists nor the animal had much room to move. “It didn't tickle,” she said, describing the bruising and scratches left along both sides of her hips and legs.

The pair were part-way through a three-month tour of Australia and plan to continue after taking time to recover in Katherine. Parks and Wildlife said almost 350 buffalo had been removed from Nitmiluk in May through an annual aerial program. Visitors are advised to stay calm, back away slowly and avoid sudden movements if they encounter a buffalo.

It didn't tickle.

— Emma HipwellShe described the bruising and scratches caused by the attack.
About this summary

Originally published by ABC Australia in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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