Where: Meadow Lane, Yoxall, Burton on Trent (52.7570756, -1.7784786)
My mum and I were walking on a public footpath with dogs on leads. There was a group of cows with calves on the other side of a large field, they were a way off and we weren’t concerned as our dogs are very well trained, they are used to cattle and ignore them. The cows charged towards us, we instructed our dogs to sit back from us – which they did. One cow got to my mum, pushed her over to the ground with its head and began trampling her. I then did my best to fight it off but it kept throwing me off with its horns so it could continue trampling.
Where: Cheddar gorge , Black Rock walk , grid ref: ST482546 for car park at start of walk
Who was involved: 2 walkers , no dog, single black cow with a calf
We were walking along the footpath and a lone cow and calf were coming towards us. As we passed by, not making any noise and giving them a wide berth, the cow charged at my friend and started to head butt and attack him, pushing him into the hedge with force with repeated head butting.
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.
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.
I suffered multiple serious injuries: fractures to neck, pelvis, arms, ribs and internal damage.
On 10 August, 2021, my husband, Mark and I were walking on the outskirts of Stockport. We were with our dog who was on his lead. He was very calm and was not pulling on his lead.
I ended up with 6 broken ribs, a collapsed lung, and a 7cm deep tear to my liver.
On the 9th May, 2022, we were walking on a public footpath across a field in West Burton, in the Yorkshire Dales. The footpath provides direct access into the village from a B road and from other public rights of way over adjoining fields.
On the 22nd August, 2019, I was walking with my husband on a popular public footpath near Belper, Derbyshire. There were no warning signs at the entrance to the field, but we saw there were Aberdeen Angus cows in the field. We knew that a lot of people walk through here, so we felt safe. Continue reading “RR’s story: fractured ribs and shattered pelvis.”
I constantly relive the nightmare… the flashbacks are utterly terrifying and extremely distressing.
On the 6th July, 2020, I was walking a very familiar footpath, in the far west of Cornwall. I was with my daughter and two grandchildren, and we had our two dogs on leads. The path was very well-used. All of us including the dogs were very used to country walking.
The animal charged my wife… crushing her chest with its head.
Update 12th October 2020
Since the attack on myself and my wife (see my story below), the Health and Safety Executive have fully investigated the attack. They paid a visit to the landowner, and the cows have been removed from the spot where the attack took place.
They even came to see us face to face to inform us of the outcome of their investigation, and I would like to thank them for their time.
I would encourage anyone else who is attacked by cows to make sure they contact the Health and Safety Executive. They do take it very seriously.
Unfortunately, my wife is still off work, 10 weeks on from the attack.
Craig’s story
On the 29th July, 2020, I was walking with my wife along a bridle path between Kettlewell and Starbotton, in the Yorkshire Dales. We had our little dog with us.
We came across a couple of cattle, and one calf was with them. At first we thought one of the cattle was a bull. I picked up our little dog, as she is just small, and we tried to give them as much distance as possible. But we were in the confinements of a walled bridle path (see photo above). Continue reading “Craig and Audrey: attacked by an angry cow.”
Cattle Safety 