By R.S.N. MURALI

KUALA TERENGGANU, MALAYSIA: It was a "holy cow, how could this have happened?" kind of incident.

Folks in Kampung Chalok Rahmat, Setiu, had initially found it difficult to believe when news spread about how a cow had viciously attacked a villager and almost bit off his left hand.

A shocked Jaafar Basok, 56, had also assumed he was attacked by a carnivorous predator when he felt sharp teeth sinking into his flesh in the come-from-behind ambush.

"I started screaming "Harimau! Harimau! (Tiger! Tiger!)" to attract the attention of other villagers as I really believed I was being mauled by a ferocious animal," Jaafar said when met at the Hospital Sultanah Nur Zahirah ward yesterday.

The father of four is recuperating from his injuries and shock from the 10am attack on Saturday.

Jaafar said he was clearing an oil-palm plantation that day when he saw a herd of about six cattle grazing at the site. He said he was attacked just 10 minutes after he started clearing some bushes using a machete.

Relating the horrifying moment, the odd-job worker said he only realised the "ferocious animal" was a cow when he turned to fend off the attack using the machete.

Villagers who heard his frantic cries rushed to his aid and the cow, upon seeing the group of people, ran into a secondary jungle.

"I am confused as to why a herbivorous and domesticated animal behaved in such manner," he said.

Jaafar was rushed to a nearby government clinic but transferred to the hospital intensive care unit when his condition worsened.

He was transferred out from the unit yesterday morning.

Villagers in Kampung Chalok started combing the area to locate the cow, but the animal had yet to return to its shed.

Jaafar said the herd belonged to one of the villagers and the owner was dumb-founded when told that one of his cows had attacked a man.