Dongguan police in Guangdong province are still searching for a water buffalo that killed a woman and injured two people in an attack on June 15.

The animal emerges usually at night from bush land to eat grass in Xiaobian community, Chang'an town. Police officers have tried on at least six occasions to round the animal up or shoot it without success. One person was injured in one attempt.

Some people living in the area, aware of the buffalo, are afraid of passing the area alone at night and some take poles with them when going out.

Two butcher premises near the attack site were closed a month ago but workers were still seen washing buffalo internal organs on Wednesday and a few dozen buffalos were seen tied to a tree on Tuesday. The butchers denied that they owned the violent buffalo.

It remains unclear from where the families of the woman killed by the animal should claim compensation.