Category: Miscellaneous

Walker killed by cattle in the Dales

First reported death this year of a walker killed by cattle in the UK

[We are sad to report the first death this year of a walker killed by cattle in the UK.]

Death in Yorkshire

On the 30th May, a couple of elderly walkers were strolling through a field near Ingleborough, when they were attacked by a herd of cows. Tragically, the man died of his injuries. The woman was severely bruised, but survived.

According to the outdoors magazine ‘Grough‘, the walkers had two small terriers with them. According to other reports, the cows had calves which they may have been protecting. Read the BBC news report of the incident, which was also reported in the Yorkshire Evening Post.

Another death in the time of virus

While hundreds of people are dying every day from this horrible Covid-19 virus, it is easy to forget that the peaceful fields of England can contain hidden dangers too.

As the Covid-19 lockdown restrictions begin to ease, we urge people to be careful, and continue to report cattle attacks to us.

You can read some of our advice for walkers here.

 

Header photo by Gary Butterfield on Unsplash

Tragic death of an experienced cattle farmer

A tragic example of how even an experienced farmer can come to grief.

We were very sad to learn of yet another death caused by cattle.

According to news reports, David Thomlinson (73) was working on his farm in Cumbria, when he was tragically killed in a ‘farm accident’ on the 8th June. The incident is still being investigated, but it appears the farmer was handling a young calf and was attacked by the calf’s mother.

David was famous as a livestock auctioneer, and was also a very experienced cattle farmer. Although Limousin cattle have a reputation for being rather aggressive, it was a breed he was very familiar with. In fact, David had bred pedigree Limousin cattle on his farm for the past forty years. In addition, he was a former Chairman of the North West Limousin Cattle Breeders Association and had been President of the British Limousin Cattle Society.

His tragic death is an example of how even the most experienced of farmers can come to grief when handling cattle.

We offer our sincere condolences to his family and his colleagues.

 

A cautionary tale from Ireland

Irish farmer, Dominic Leonard, suffered serious head injuries.

When Irish farmer, Dominic Leonard, was crushed by one of his cows, he suffered serious head injuries. In a video he describes the attack, the aftermath of his injuries, and the effect it had on him and his family. Continue reading “A cautionary tale from Ireland”

New Forest: cow tramples woman

Serious injuries and no laughing matter.

A few weeks ago, Della White and her husband Michael were walking their dogs near their home in the New Forest.

“We saw a white cow with horns and her calf,” her husband told reporters. “I called our two sheepdogs close and my wife put our other dog on a lead. Suddenly I heard my wife shout behind me.” Continue reading “New Forest: cow tramples woman”

Advice for Farmers

Being killed by an animal is the second highest cause of death in farming.

This site is dedicated to walkers who have been injured by cattle, and we’ve received numerous reports of cattle attacks involving people rambling in the countryside. But, it is worth remembering that the group MOST at risk is not walkers, but farmworkers. Continue reading “Advice for Farmers”

It’s not just humans…

Limousin cows are the breed we most often feature in our Horror Stories section.

Why? Because they are now the commonest type of beef cattle farmed in the UK, and because Limousin cows do seem to be more aggressive than traditional British breeds.

It’s not just humans who are at risk. Just look at what happened in Ireland, when a swan made the mistake of landing in a field of Limousins.

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The entire herd charged the poor bird, intent on trampling it. Luckily the swan was eventually rescued, and is recovering on a nearby lake.

Read the whole story in the Irish Mirror.

Photo of swan being chased by the herd of cattle: photo credit Dan Linehan.

 

Another cow attack, in County Durham

Another cow trampling attack on a public footpath.

On the 5th October 2017, just a few weeks ago, Lianne Hutchinson was out walking her dog on a public footpath near Darlington. Suddenly, a cow barged through the fence and attacked her.

Continue reading “Another cow attack, in County Durham”

Irish story – Ann Doherty

“I know I’m so lucky to be alive.”

In this video clip, Ann Doherty describes how she was attacked by a bull in 2010. The incident happened when Ann found the road blocked by cows, got out of her car, and wandered into the bull’s field, by mistake. Continue reading “Irish story – Ann Doherty”

Farmer killed by her cow

We focus on walkers, but this death reminds us that farmers are at a much greater risk

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Another death

Sad news from Northern Ireland. Thelma Gorman, a respected cattle breeder, was found on her farm yesterday afternoon after an “incident” with a cow.

Sadly, despite the efforts of the air ambulance, she died at the scene. Continue reading “Farmer killed by her cow”