I was out for a run with my dog. I was about to run through a field along a public bridleway. I saw there were about 20 cows and a few young ones at the top of the field so stopped and put my dog on a lead and continued to run across the field. As I entered the field the cows started moving towards me then started running my way. I ran to the far corner where there were steps over the fence. I arrived at the steps about the same time as the cows.
I picked my dog up and threw him over the gate as the cows hit me and pinned me against the gate. I somehow wriggled free and got over the gate. I had bad bruising on my right upper body but no lasting damage just really lucky I think. My dog was unharmed.
Killer Cattle comment: “This attack by dangerous cattle was 10 years ago and cattle attacks and scares continue – with, it seems, increasing numbers. At the date I’ve written this account up there are 806 cattle incidents reported onto our site. 421 involved NO dog, in 386 incidents there was a dog present. 341 involved a single person, 327 a couple and 120 a small group of 3-5 people.
Luckily 511 of our reports involved no injuries (but most of these were badly scared), 192 had minor injuries, 59 significant injuries, 19 suffered serious, potentially fatal injuries, 3 sadly died.
Not an experience I would wish on anybody! For me, I was completely unaware that this kind of thing happens, and happens far more frequently than you think!
26/08/2023 – Goosnargh, Lancashire, details of an attack involving a mixed herd of beef cattle, with cows, bulls and calves.
It was around 09.30 on Saturday morning of August bank holiday and rather than walking my dog around the houses, I decided to take him into the fields at the back of my estate. There is a public footpath that crosses the field that I have walked many times without any concern and whilst I could see that there were cows, I didn’t feel uncomfortable about passing through (perhaps my naivety!) as the cows were some way off and I have walked through plenty of fields with cows in before. I was minding my own business, with my dog on his lead, not presenting any threatening behaviour when a herd of some 20/25 cows starting charging towards me. There are parts of the incident which I cannot fully remember but I do remember being stood there, thinking that surely they were just coming to encourage me to change direction, never did I think that they would attack me.
Read the tales of cattle incidents – bitten walkers, charged at golfers, stampeded schoolchildren, scared tourists
The National Trust look after the land around Pennard, Southgate and Three Cliffs Bay, on the Gower Peninsula, South Wales. There is common land across this region and cattle have rights to roam freely over this small tourist hotspot. There is a golf course at Pennard adjoining the common land and the cattle roam across this also.
This is spectacular landscape, Swansea tourist board name this as one of the most photographed areas in Gower. The tourist board suggest several walks that can be taken around here and the Welsh Coastal Path traverses the area. This region sees a high number of visitors.
But neither the National Trust nor the Swansea Tourist Board warn of the dangers posed by the cattle.
We have identified 9 reports of stampedes or threatening and aggressive behaviour by the cattle in this region; our first report is from 2021, but the other 8 are from 2023, all were placed by members of the public onto Killer Cows reporting site. These reports provide evidence that these cattle are behaving in a way that is dangerous to the public. Most of these incidents are not being followed up by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and without our site would not have been connected and the danger may have been missed. We need a central database that people can report all incidents too, so dangerous cattle can be identified before someone is killed or badly injured!
Killer cows believe that all of these attacks and incidents could have been extremely serious. Not one school child, walker or tourist or golfer did anything wrong – surely they should expect to be safe on such a famous, well-frequented, coastal footpath area?
Julie say “Having read today of another woman being attacked nearby by a cow on New Year’s day, I have reported both attacks today to HSE. It seems to me that at least one cow in this herd is unsafe to be grazing on unfenced open moorland near a popular bridleway. I have sent the photo of the cow which attacked me, (said photo is now the featured image on this post) The ear tag number is not visible, but perhaps the farmer might be able to identify his cow?”
My story begins on September 1 2023. At about eleven in the morning I set out to walk along a stretch of the Wales Coast Path between Kidwelly and Pembrey in Carmarthenshire.
Whilst walking along what is known locally as Bank y Lord, I noticed that the path was blocked by cattle – a mixture of adults and young. I had two dogs with me and knowing that dogs can spook cattle with their young, I dropped down from the bank on to the muddy flood plain and took a wide ‘walking arc’ around the cattle.
290,433,379 incident 778
Glyn Austin’s tale
My story begins on September 1 2023. At about eleven in the morning I set out to walk along a stretch of the Wales Coast Path between Kidwelly and Pembrey in Carmarthenshire (OS Explorer Map 178 402/047).
Whilst walking along what is known locally as Bank y Lord, I noticed that the path was blocked by cattle – a mixture of adults and young. I had two dogs with me and knowing that dogs can spook cattle with their young, I dropped down from the bank on to the muddy flood plain and took a wide ‘walking arc’ around the cattle – even though in a sense I had the right of way! Both dogs were on their leads and were quiet. It was not easy walking on the boggy ground but it had to be done to avoid the cattle.
As my ‘walking arc’ went past the cattle they suddenly charged towards me. I expected them to stop but the animals knocked me over. I tried to get up a couple of times, but was butted to the ground and then trampled. (I’d let go of my dogs by then but this did not stop the cattle from attacking me.) I thought I was going to die and decided to play dead…..the cattle seemed to lose interest then.
Some men working on a sluice gate further along the bank heard my dogs barking and came to investigate. The men made comfortable, phoned for an ambulance and arranged for one of their number to care for the dogs. The Wales Air Ambulance from Dafan was on the spot within minutes along with a police officer. The doctor on the air ambulance team suspected my having internal injuries and I was airlifted to The University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff. On arrival I was scanned and x-rayed and found to have five broken ribs and bruising – with thankfully no damage to internal organs. I was kept in hospital for six nights until the trauma ward were happy that I could breathe and keep my lungs clear.
Reporting my attack
I came home from hospital on Thursday 7 September. Since then I have contacted the police officer who attended the scene. The officer reported that he had contacted the owner of the cattle and had been assured that this had not happened before. I was advised that the incident was a civil matter.
I also contacted Natural Resources Wales NRW to report the incident. NRW asked me if they could share the incident with the HSE (Health and Safety Executive) and the local authority. Prompted by the NRW a warden who covers the Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire parts of the Wales Coast Path got in touch with me to emphasise the importance of my reporting the incident to the HSE.
I contacted the HSE and was informed that the owner of the land/cattle had a duty to report the incident to them under statutory RIDDOR regulations (Reporting of Injuries, Disease and Dangerous Occurrences), but no one had informed HSE of my attack prior to me contacting them.
“it is not unusual for people to be admitted to hospital with injuries inflicted by cattle!”
Sadly, on the very same day of my accident it was reported that a woman was killed by cattle whist walking her dogs on a bridle path near Welshpool in Mid Wales.
Staff at the Trauma Unit at UHW where I was treated says that it is not unusual for people to be admitted to hospital with injuries inflicted by cattle.
In conclusion.
The Wales Coast Path is a national asset with its own website which promotes the path. So, why are cattle allowed to roam on the footpath? I feel very strongly about this. I almost died. It could have been a child or somebody infirm who was attacked and killed. Surely something needs to be done to prevent cattle from having direct access to one of Wales’ most prestigious tourist routes.
“Land with footpaths crossing it should not contain cattle”
It was the 24th of June 2023. I was staying in a cottage in Snowdonia with a friend.
We were jogging quietly along the track that led up to our holiday cottage. With no warning two cows ran from behind at us, and as they came from behind we did not even know they were there.
My friend managed to escape by jumping a wall, in the process injuring his knee which needed stitches. I slipped as I ran and fell. One cow attacked me causing serious injuries.
I was airlifted from the scene and spent two weeks on a major trauma ward. I had fractured ribs that caused a pneumothorax (air in the chest cavity,) a fractured spine, a fractured jaw, a leg laceration (massive wound in the leg,) multiple bruising and a lumbar hernia. I am off work while I recover from these injuries.
We subsequently discovered that there were cows with calves in the field. We did not have a dog, our attack was completely unprovoked.
The attack was reported to the farmer who was unhelpful and unsympathetic.
I believe that land with footpaths crossing it should not contain cattle.
On the 24th August 2023 Jules was walking with her husband near St Lawrence, on the Isle of Wight Coastal Path, a popular walking route for ramblers. No dog was involved on this walk.
The path passed through a gate into a field where there were several cows and calves. The couple passed through the gate and found themselves surrounded by the cattle. They managed to get the cattle to back away, when suddenly one cow charged and knocked into Jules’s husband and pushed Jules to the ground.
Cattle Safety 