An ox in Kompong Chhnang province is drawing droves of villagers who seek contact with its saliva, which is believed to be a magical curative, news media and government officials reported Thursday.
Puch Pich, owner of the alleged god-cow, said about 400 people arrive at his farm daily to be licked by his ox. He collects 500 riel for each treatment of four licks, Agence France-Presse reported.
Its powers were discovered accidentally.
“The cow was always wanting to lick my wife’s arms and legs and two months after he started, she completely recovered from an illness we’d spent a lot of money trying to fix,” AFP quoted Puch Pich saying.
But Nou Sarun, deputy director of the Department of Agriculture in Kompong Chhnang, heard otherwise. “I heard a villager bought an ox from Kandal province and one night the ox’s owner dreamed of a mystical ox. The ox told him it was a mystical ox,” Nou Sarun said. “Then the rumors about the god-ox spread all over the area.” Nou Sarun said his office would investigate.
Chhorn Eam, a secretary of state for the Ministry of Cult and Religion, was doubtful.
“These things are fraudulent. For example, the rumor about the Buddha still being alive. But the impostor had five to six wives. Unbelievable!” Chhorn Eam said Thursday.
He attributed such beliefs to a lack of education. “It’s difficult to talk with some Cambodian people about this,” he said.
