For residents of Makonde village outside Thohoyandou, Christmas arrived much earlier than expected when a stray buffalo wandered into the community and ended up becoming a massive feast for villagers.
The buffalo, believed to have been part of a group of three animals spotted roaming the village on Wednesday morning, 6 May, was killed after residents chased it from Makonde Tshituni along the main road towards Luvhimbi and the nearby mountains.
According to residents, the animals were first spotted by community members on their way to work in the early hours of the morning. Panic quickly spread through the village as people gathered to track the dangerous animals.
While two buffaloes disappeared and remain unaccounted for, one was cornered and eventually killed by residents.
Within minutes of the animal being brought down, scores of villagers descended on it armed with knives, axes and buckets, scrambling for meat in a chaotic scene resembling a feeding frenzy that reportedly left some people injured during the uncontrolled butchering of the carcass.
One of those injured was Ndavhe Ravhura, who said he narrowly escaped death after being attacked by the buffalo during the chase.
“I was among the first people searching for the buffalo and I think I angered it when I hit it with a stone,” he said.
“It first ran past us but could not get through the cemetery fence. It suddenly turned back and charged straight at me. I tripped and fell, and the buffalo attacked me, throwing me into the air before I landed on the ground. I missed death by a whisker and, for your information, I do not even eat buffalo meat,” he said.
Ravhura said he briefly lost consciousness during the ordeal.
“After some time, I managed to cling onto its horns until it eventually fell down with me. By the time I regained consciousness, residents had already torn the animal apart and there was no meat left for me,” he said.
Ravhura sustained injuries to his hip, knee and ribs and later received medical treatment.
“I want to warn residents not to go near wild animals because they can be very dangerous and deadly,” he added.
Despite his role in tracking the buffalo, Ravhura said he was disappointed that he did not receive any share of the meat.
“I had to ask one of the people who got meat to at least give me the head so that I could take a picture with the animal that nearly killed me,” he said jokingly.
The incident revived memories of another dramatic wildlife encounter in the area in November 2025, when residents of nearby Khubvi feasted on elephant meat after a dangerous elephant was destroyed by authorities.
Meanwhile, fears remain high in Makonde after reports emerged on Sunday that another buffalo had again been spotted in the village. Residents reportedly searched for the animal, but it could not be located.