Over 10&nbsp;months after 18 water buffaloes entered their home and took a dip in the $86,000 (£70,000) swimming pool, damaging it and the nearby garden in the process, a couple in the UK has&nbsp;finally received compensation from the insurance company.&nbsp;

According to a Guardian report, NFL Mutual, the insurance company, finally agreed to the full $31,000 repair bill, which was still short of the previous two quotes given by the Smiths'.&nbsp;

“We apologise for the delay in paying this claim and in particular, the initial wait for an inspector’s visit, which took too long and fell short of our usual standards. We have a duty to all of our members to ensure we validate the cost of claims and in this instance, we needed to gain further assurance around the costs involved in repairing the damage," the insurance company said.

<h2>Fire brigade thought it was a hoax call</h2>

Last year in July, both&nbsp;Andy and Lynette Smith were left shocked when they saw the muscular animals, each weighing over 600 kg, escape from a&nbsp;breeds farm and arrive on their property. The herd was able to escape the farm after an electric fence failed and they were able to scale a wooden fence and hedge separating the field from Smiths' garden.&nbsp;

“When my wife went to make the morning tea, she glanced out of the kitchen window and saw eight buffaloes in the pool,” said Andy Smith.

“She called 999 and was told the fire brigade doesn’t accept hoax calls. It took some persuading to get them to take us seriously. When they arrived, one of the buffaloes, spooked by their hi-vis jackets, headed straight at them.”

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/tragic-california-man-killed-by-car-while-helping-ducks-cross-road-595327">ALSO READ |&nbsp;Tragic! California man killed by car while helping ducks cross road</a>

According to Andy, the buffaloes altogether managed to&nbsp;cause&nbsp;$31,000 (£25,000) worth of property damage during the 15-minute incident.&nbsp;The CCTV footage released showed a buffalo wandering into the garden early in the morning.&nbsp;

“Buffaloes are top-heavy and the porcelain tiles round the pool were slippery so they lost their grip and once they were in, they couldn’t get out again,” said Smith. “The previous afternoon, we had hosted a pool party for our young grandchildren and their friends. If the invasion had happened hours earlier, it could have been very serious.”

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/us-kamala-harris-motorcade-met-with-an-accident-transferred-to-another-vehicle-523107">WATCH |&nbsp;US: Kamala Harris' motorcade met with an accident, transferred to another vehicle</a>

<iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/us-kamala-harris-motorcade-met-with-an-accident-transferred-to-another-vehicle-523107/embed" width="560"></iframe>

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/tragic-california-man-killed-by-car-while-helping-ducks-cross-road-595327#" id="jqclosemark">×</a>

CCTV footage released showed a buffalo wandering into the garden early in the morning. It strayed too close to the pool and fell into it. Soon, other buffaloes ran across the garden and what followed was&nbsp;15 minutes of chaos. Seven other buffalo fell into the pool, leaving the water murky and dark in colour.&nbsp;&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

WATCH WION LIVE HERE:&nbsp;

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>

&nbsp;

Over 10 months after 18 water buffaloes entered their home and took a dip in the $86,000 (£70,000) swimming pool, damaging it and the nearby garden in the process, a couple in the UK has finally received compensation from the insurance company.

Over 10 months after 18 water buffaloes entered their home and took a dip in the $86,000 (£70,000) swimming pool, damaging it and the nearby garden in the process, a couple in the UK has finally received compensation from the insurance company. According to a Guardian report, NFL Mutual, the insurance company, finally agreed to the full $31,000 repair bill, which was still short of the previous two quotes given by the Smiths'. “We apologise for the delay in paying this claim and in particular, the initial wait for an inspector’s visit, which took too long and fell short of our usual standards. We have a duty to all of our members to ensure we validate the cost of claims and in this instance, we needed to gain further assurance around the costs involved in repairing the damage," the insurance company said. Fire brigade thought it was a hoax call Last year in July, both Andy and Lynette Smith were left shocked when they saw the muscular animals, each weighing over 600 kg, escape from a breeds farm and arrive on their property. The herd was able to escape the farm after an electric fence failed and they were able to scale a wooden fence and hedge separating the field from Smiths' garden. “When my wife went to make the morning tea, she glanced out of the kitchen window and saw eight buffaloes in the pool,” said Andy Smith. “She called 999 and was told the fire brigade doesn’t accept hoax calls. It took some persuading to get them to take us seriously. When they arrived, one of the buffaloes, spooked by their hi-vis jackets, headed straight at them.” ALSO READ | Tragic! California man killed by car while helping ducks cross road According to Andy, the buffaloes altogether managed to cause $31,000 (£25,000) worth of property damage during the 15-minute incident. The CCTV footage released showed a buffalo wandering into the garden early in the morning. “Buffaloes are top-heavy and the porcelain tiles round the pool were slippery so they lost their grip and once they were in, they couldn’t get out again,” said Smith. “The previous afternoon, we had hosted a pool party for our young grandchildren and their friends. If the invasion had happened hours earlier, it could have been very serious.” WATCH | US: Kamala Harris' motorcade met with an accident, transferred to another vehicle × CCTV footage released showed a buffalo wandering into the garden early in the morning. It strayed too close to the pool and fell into it. Soon, other buffaloes ran across the garden and what followed was 15 minutes of chaos. Seven other buffalo fell into the pool, leaving the water murky and dark in colour. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

UK couple receives insurance money after water buffaloes fell into their swimming pool

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is in trouble, as he will possibly face formal impeachment over the 'Farmgate scandal.' It all started on 1 June 2022, when Arthur Fraser, a former head of the State Security Agency and close ally of former president Jacob Zuma, filed a criminal complaint against&nbsp; Ramaphosa. According to Fraser's complaint, Ramaphosa stashed a sum of $4 million inside a couch at his home at the Phala Phala game farm in Waterberg, Limpopo. The report stated that the president deliberately did not report the crime and was trying to hide the existence of this huge sum of undeclared foreign currency. However, the president while rubbishing the complaint said that the money was from selling buffaloes.

What does the complaint say?&nbsp;

A leaked report from an independent panel reveals that President Ramaphosa has abused his position. It also states that Ramaphosa may have breached the anti-corruption law. In addition to the cover-up of $4 million, the president is also accused of kidnapping and bribing the burglars to remain silent. Fraser has also alleged that the money which the president claims to have earned by selling buffaloes could have been money-laundering and corruption proceeds. According to African media outlet, holding this amount of money in dollars could violate foreign exchange control laws.

ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/bcci-president-roger-binny-faces-trouble-because-of-daughter-in-law-mayanti-langer-will-he-be-clean-bowled-538928">BCCI President Roger Binny faces TROUBLE because of daughter-in-law Mayanti Langer, will he be CLEAN BOWLED?</a>

Impeachment ahead for Cyril Ramaphosa?&nbsp;

The findings drawn by the panels are passed on to the Parliament. Now , the parliament will examine the findings and decide it must launch impeachment proceedings the coming week. Moreover, a conference is also awaiting Ramaphosa which will see if he can run for a second term with his party, the African National Congress (ANC) in 2024. It is also expected that the ANC could raise the issue in a meeting with its executive on Thursday.&nbsp;

What did Ramaphosa say to the panel report?&nbsp;

Ramaphosa firstly confirmed that a robbery had taken place at his place however, in the same breath, said that the stolen money was less than that alleged. He also refuted the complaint which says that he attempted to cover up the robbery. He said that some $580,000 which had been paid in cash for buffalo was stolen from under sofa cushions from his farmhouse. "I did not 'hunt' for the perpetrators of the theft, as alleged, nor did I give any instructions for this to take place," his written submission to the panel report said, as per AFP news agency.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/middle-east/uae-to-honor-national-day-2022-with-free-parking-in-dubai-and-sharjah-check-new-metro-timings-538741/amp">UAE to honor National Day 2022 with free parking in Dubai and Sharjah, check new metro timings&nbsp;</a>

As per the panel there are many questions that are left unanswered by President Cyril Ramaphosa. They termed the matter a "very serious" one. The panel suggested that very less information was available about the man who allegedly paid the money for buffalo. It added that the man to whom the buffaloes were sold has still not collected the animals, two and a half years later. It also raised suspicions over the money kept hidden in a sofa rather than in a safe.&nbsp;

WATCH |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/irs-releases-donald-trumps-tax-records-to-house-committee-538987">IRS releases Donald Trump's tax records to House Committee</a>

"We think that the president has a case to answer on the origin of the foreign currency that was stolen, as well as the underlying transaction for it," the panel report said adding, "The president abused his position as head of state to have the matter investigated and seeking the assistance of the Namibian president to apprehend a suspect."

&nbsp;

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1  width=&quot;100%&quot;"></iframe>

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is in trouble, as he will possibly face formal impeachment over the 'Farmgate scandal.' It all started on 1 June 2022, when Arthur Fraser, a former head of the State Security Agency and close ally of former president Jacob Zuma, filed a criminal complaint against Ramaphosa.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is in trouble, as he will possibly face formal impeachment over the 'Farmgate scandal.' It all started on 1 June 2022, when Arthur Fraser, a former head of the State Security Agency and close ally of former president Jacob Zuma, filed a criminal complaint against Ramaphosa. According to Fraser's complaint, Ramaphosa stashed a sum of $4 million inside a couch at his home at the Phala Phala game farm in Waterberg, Limpopo. The report stated that the president deliberately did not report the crime and was trying to hide the existence of this huge sum of undeclared foreign currency. However, the president while rubbishing the complaint said that the money was from selling buffaloes. What does the complaint say? A leaked report from an independent panel reveals that President Ramaphosa has abused his position. It also states that Ramaphosa may have breached the anti-corruption law. In addition to the cover-up of $4 million, the president is also accused of kidnapping and bribing the burglars to remain silent. Fraser has also alleged that the money which the president claims to have earned by selling buffaloes could have been money-laundering and corruption proceeds. According to African media outlet, holding this amount of money in dollars could violate foreign exchange control laws. ALSO READ | BCCI President Roger Binny faces TROUBLE because of daughter-in-law Mayanti Langer, will he be CLEAN BOWLED? Impeachment ahead for Cyril Ramaphosa? The findings drawn by the panels are passed on to the Parliament. Now , the parliament will examine the findings and decide it must launch impeachment proceedings the coming week. Moreover, a conference is also awaiting Ramaphosa which will see if he can run for a second term with his party, the African National Congress (ANC) in 2024. It is also expected that the ANC could raise the issue in a meeting with its executive on Thursday. What did Ramaphosa say to the panel report? Ramaphosa firstly confirmed that a robbery had taken place at his place however, in the same breath, said that the stolen money was less than that alleged. He also refuted the complaint which says that he attempted to cover up the robbery. He said that some $580,000 which had been paid in cash for buffalo was stolen from under sofa cushions from his farmhouse. "I did not 'hunt' for the perpetrators of the theft, as alleged, nor did I give any instructions for this to take place," his written submission to the panel report said, as per AFP news agency. ALSO READ | UAE to honor National Day 2022 with free parking in Dubai and Sharjah, check new metro timings As per the panel there are many questions that are left unanswered by President Cyril Ramaphosa. They termed the matter a "very serious" one. The panel suggested that very less information was available about the man who allegedly paid the money for buffalo. It added that the man to whom the buffaloes were sold has still not collected the animals, two and a half years later. It also raised suspicions over the money kept hidden in a sofa rather than in a safe. WATCH | IRS releases Donald Trump's tax records to House Committee "We think that the president has a case to answer on the origin of the foreign currency that was stolen, as well as the underlying transaction for it," the panel report said adding, "The president abused his position as head of state to have the matter investigated and seeking the assistance of the Namibian president to apprehend a suspect." WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Buffaloes & millions stashed into cushions. Why South African Prez Cyril Ramaphosa faces impeachment threat

Sudan&#39;s Janjaweed, Uganda&#39;s Lord&#39;s Resistance Army and other notorious militias are wreaking havoc on wildlife in central&nbsp;Africa, poaching and trafficking elephants, hippopotamuses, buffaloes and other animals, a monitor said Friday.

The threat comes from &quot;highly organised armed groups who are linked to human rights violations and ongoing political instability&quot; as well as state actors, armed pastoralists and&nbsp;poachers, Traffic said in a report.

Joseph Kony, a self-styled mystic and prophet who launched a bloody rebellion three decades ago, &quot;tasked a group of LRA fighters with obtaining 100 tusks... over the course of nine months&quot; from the Garamba natural reserve in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Traffic said.

The report also tracked poaching in Bili in DRC and the Chinko reserve in the Central African Republic. The research covered nearly 90 villages in the region.

&quot;This region is perhaps the most remote and underdeveloped on the continent,&quot; said Liz Williamson, one of the authors of the report.

&quot;The lack of governance and enforcement has rendered local communities and wildlife an easy target for exploitation by armed groups, while illegal wildlife trade fuels continued instability across the landscape.&quot;

Exacerbating the problem was endemic corruption in a region mired in poverty, but things were improving in DR Congo where poaching by government soldiers has been declining in the past few years due to &quot;stronger collaboration with park enforcement authorities,&quot; it said.

The pastoralist threat

But animals are also under threat from pastoralists like the Fulani, who are spread over a swathe of western and central&nbsp;Africa, and the Mbororo, a Fulani sub-group which kill Giant Eland -- a Savannah antelope -- and buffaloes &quot;to sell as bushmeat and to poison predators.

&quot;Fulani have also been reported as trafficking wildlife products such as ivory and leopard skins across borders, primarily to South Sudan and Uganda,&quot; Traffic said.

And there were armed &quot;poachers&nbsp;targeting large mammals, including bongo, buffalo, elephant and hippopotamus in the protected areas&quot; selling their meat to individuals and restaurants and transporting high-value products such as ivory, skins and other trophies further afield.

&quot;Hunting serves as an income-generator for people living around protected areas and about 20 percent of men in northeast DRC reported that they engage in small-scale poaching,&quot; it said.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has previously found that&nbsp;Africa&#39;s elephant numbers fell by 111,000 between 2006 and 2015.&nbsp;

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species said the elephant population in southern&nbsp;Africa&nbsp;and much of East&nbsp;Africa&nbsp;is now either stable or increasing but illegal killings remain high across the continent.&nbsp;

Sudan's Janjaweed, Uganda's Lord's Resistance Army and other notorious militias are wreaking havoc on wildlife in central?Africa, poaching and trafficking elephants, hippopotamuses, buffaloes and other animals, a monitor said Friday

Sudan's Janjaweed, Uganda's Lord's Resistance Army and other notorious militias are wreaking havoc on wildlife in central Africa, poaching and trafficking elephants, hippopotamuses, buffaloes and other animals, a monitor said Friday. The threat comes from "highly organised armed groups who are linked to human rights violations and ongoing political instability" as well as state actors, armed pastoralists and poachers, Traffic said in a report. Joseph Kony, a self-styled mystic and prophet who launched a bloody rebellion three decades ago, "tasked a group of LRA fighters with obtaining 100 tusks... over the course of nine months" from the Garamba natural reserve in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Traffic said. The report also tracked poaching in Bili in DRC and the Chinko reserve in the Central African Republic. The research covered nearly 90 villages in the region. "This region is perhaps the most remote and underdeveloped on the continent," said Liz Williamson, one of the authors of the report. "The lack of governance and enforcement has rendered local communities and wildlife an easy target for exploitation by armed groups, while illegal wildlife trade fuels continued instability across the landscape." Exacerbating the problem was endemic corruption in a region mired in poverty, but things were improving in DR Congo where poaching by government soldiers has been declining in the past few years due to "stronger collaboration with park enforcement authorities," it said. The pastoralist threat But animals are also under threat from pastoralists like the Fulani, who are spread over a swathe of western and central Africa, and the Mbororo, a Fulani sub-group which kill Giant Eland -- a Savannah antelope -- and buffaloes "to sell as bushmeat and to poison predators. "Fulani have also been reported as trafficking wildlife products such as ivory and leopard skins across borders, primarily to South Sudan and Uganda," Traffic said. And there were armed "poachers targeting large mammals, including bongo, buffalo, elephant and hippopotamus in the protected areas" selling their meat to individuals and restaurants and transporting high-value products such as ivory, skins and other trophies further afield. "Hunting serves as an income-generator for people living around protected areas and about 20 percent of men in northeast DRC reported that they engage in small-scale poaching," it said. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has previously found that Africa's elephant numbers fell by 111,000 between 2006 and 2015. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species said the elephant population in southern Africa and much of East Africa is now either stable or increasing but illegal killings remain high across the continent.

Militias, poachers have wreaked havoc on central Africa's wildlife: Monitor

buffaloes

Buffaloes, News on Buffaloes, stories on Buffaloes, articles on Buffaloes, Buffaloes stories at Wion, Buffaloes news, Buffaloes latest news