charging cows – Page 2 – Cattle Safety

Roger and his wife are charged at near Oswestry

Response ID 311,461,278
Incident number 1067
Date: 26.10.24
Site: Oswestry. Followed route 4 of the ‘Offa’s Dyke Path Circular Walks’ issued by ‘Offa’s Dyke Path National Trail’ and ‘Shropshire Council Outdoor Recreation’. The incident happened by Gwalia Wood which is point 8 on the route map at about 15:45.
2 walkers, no dog

Roger’s account: “We emerged from Gwalia Wood and went into the field where cows were grazing and actually moving away from us on the far side of the field. After walking just a short distance on a diagonal away from the cows and toward the sign posted exit point, we noticed that several of the cows had spotted us and had turned and were now running toward us closely followed by the rest of the herd (probably numbering about 50 animals). At the speed the cows were running we would not be able to retrace our steps the way we had come. I told my wife to run to our left and toward a closed metal vehicle gate. We reached the gate just as the first cow got to within 10 feet of us and I turned and started shouting and waving my arms to drive them back. This action stopped them long enough to allow us to climb the gate and exit the field before they came crowding around the gate. We followed a farm track, circling the wood back to where we had originally been and eventually getting back onto the published route at the hamlet of Bwlch.”
“My wife was in a terrible state, physically shaking and suffering from arthritis in her knee which after running and gate climbing meant she was in considerable discomfort walking back. We discussed the incident that night in the bar of an Oswestry hotel where we dined and were told by a local that the cows in question were well known for pursuing walkers.”

Roger adds: “The public footpath across the field where we encountered the cows is on a diagonal and on a right to left slope. The ground was very soft and we were effectively on the receiving end of a cavalry charge. It would help if the ‘tourist maps/leaflets’ make mention of the possibility of encountering livestock and to provide clear alternative routes where appropriate.”

Roger supplied the photograph of the herd at the gate following the incident.

Mum and Daughter narrowly escaped charging cattle.

Incident number 1061
Response ID 311,395,044
Date: 1.11.24
Site: ///remit.page.code

It happened on a public foot path off the allotments in Upton St Leonards Village in Gloucestershire

Account: We entered the public footpath via the gate from the allotments. My 7 year old daughter and I and our dog on the lead started walking along the path. Within seconds of being in the field however the group of cows at the far end of the field (complete opposite side to where the public footpath is) started charging at us. Knowing the dangers of cows I quickly grabbed hold of my daughter and threw her back over the gate. In a state of panic I struggled to open the gate, only just opening it as the cows were right on top of me. I got through and closed the gate with the dog before they could cause any harm. It left my daughter in floods of tears from fright, she is now terrified of cows (and she is an animal lover) she had nightmares that night from it. We have not used that public footpath again from fear.

Mum comments: Warnings should be put on gates if there are cattle in fields that have public footpaths through them.

Duke of Edinburgh walkers charged at by cattle

Response ID 310,407,936
Incident number 1051

Date: September 2024
Site: The walk began at Cannock chase, but unsure exactly where the incident occurred.
Group of cows, a group of young walkers, no dog

Description: I was doing D of E, we followed the “public footpath” sign and it took us to the field full of cows approximately 10 -15, I’m not sure. Unknowing what was about to happen me and my group strolled through the field, when suddenly the cattle chased us, they kept running at us and my friend managed to stop them. I was in tears as I was so scared. They chased us for a second time when we were trying to exit the field (we could not find the gate). Due to my state of confusion and how scared I was, I stayed at the back trying to find the exit and then they ran at us again. I had to throw my rucksack and me over a fence and it was so uncomfortable to do so. This was very frightening.
This incident was reported to the group leader.

Comment: I am now severely frightened of cows

A nimble (and lucky) M.P. wants contact details of cattle owners on access points into fields.

Response ID 310,378,370
Incident number 1047

Date: 30.04.24
Site: Public riverside walk from Huntington to New Earswick (Near York), North Yorkshire
Group of cows, lone walker, no dog.

MP`s Report: “Whilst walking along a public right of way I was approached and then chased by group of cows. I am 79 years of age and I still don`t know how I did it, but I had to vault over a fence (with barbed wire running along the top) to safety!! I was very fortunate not to have been hit by any of the cows. I suffered injuries to my hands whilst getting over the fence, caused by the barbed wire.”

MP adds: “Cows should not be able to be in the area where there is a public right of way. They need to be fenced off. Also there should be contact details of owner of land/farmer displayed at the field edge – I did not know who to contact to inform them of their unsafe animals.”

Killer Cows comment: We have just added the need to identify stock owners as one of our aims; it can help the farmers as people can inform them when their animals look unwell or running free and let them know when a cow is acting dangerously, so they can take steps to protect the public.

All near misses like this should be reported to the land owner, HSE, local council and your MP, yes it’s a faff, but without notification these people won’t know there’s a problem, and someone else may get injured – easy links on this page https://killercows.co.uk/page/

Biscuit is chased by cattle – despite farmer’s assurances

Response ID 310,378,687
Incident number 1048

Date: 06.09.23
Site: Plug.verges.ballooned Near Draycott, Somerset
Herd of dairy cows. Lone walker with dog, Biscuit, on a lead.

Biscuit’s owner has written this report “I was walking south on the footpath, as I proceeded a couple of big cows came galloping towards me. I yelled at them but they still charged, reared up and kicked. My 10 week old puppy panicked, slipped her collar and ran. The cows chased the puppy and I managed to get back over the stile and rescue her. Two farmers from the dairy witnessed the whole thing but did nothing.”

“The Monarchs Way runs through this area and has been a highly used national footpath and right of way until the Tizzard dairy was built and 600+ cattle have been left on the footpaths with no fencing for the public”

Biscuit’s owner was told by the farmer a couple of years ago “that his cows were safe to walk through when on a footpath.”

Helen and her sister surrounded and chased by aggressive cows in the Peak District.

Response ID 310,136,770
Incident number 1044

Date: 16.11.24
Site: On the path across the fields between Long Dale and Weaddow Lane near Elton, Derbyshire. Peak District National Park – Derbyshire Dales District Council. ///potential.comic.clusters SK 19246 60923
Type of cow: Group of Cows and bullocks. 2 walkers, dogs on lead.

Helen’s report: “The cows were in a large group near the footpath gate into the field. There was a feeder near by and some were eating from it. We entered the field with our three dogs on leads and kept to the footpath by the wall to go round the cows. They started coming towards us and we spread our arms wide and shouted for them to go away. They then charged towards my sister and her two dogs and pinned her against the wall. My dog had an orange coat on and they didn’t seem interested in her but, lead by two aggressive cows the others started jumping up on their back legs and surrounded my sister and her dogs. One cow head-butted her twice and was stamping its front legs trying to get to her dogs who were hiding behind her legs.
She started screaming and I ran back and shouted at the cows who did run back a bit. We quickly let all the dogs off the leads and I picked up my dog and she picked up her old dog. The cows then all started charging towards us and her young dog ran off down the path. The herd of at least 30 cows (who we think were bullocks but can’t be sure as we were in shock at the time) all charged off after her dog at full pelt. We followed down the hill as fast as we could to try and get to her dog, who is less than a year old. After about half a mile the cows all ran up across the field and my sister checked her dog tracker and saw the dog was ahead of us and had run up to the top of the field. She whistled her dog and it ran back to her. I had gone through a gate down the footpath track and she passed me her dog over the fence and walked back up to the gate to come down the path. We weren’t injured but at one point I did think the cows were going to kill my sister. She was so upset thinking they were going to kill her dog, and then worried that the dog had run off and would be lost and traumatised.
The dog that the cows were trying to get to was quite traumatised and was shaking like a leaf when we retrieved her.
I haven’t yet reported this incident but I am going to look at reporting it to the ramblers association and The Local Authority as we are very concerned that it could have caused very serious injury and could happen again to someone else.”

RA:”I am not against free grazing but following my experience it should have some form of physical barrier.”

Response ID 310,135,319
Report number: 1042

Date of incident: 15.11.24
Site: Burbage Bridge footpath in the Peak District just outside Sheffield

RA’s Report: “A group of four were walking on a damp foggy day, we set off through the gated footpath and immediately saw a cow in the valley below, I immediately put my dog on the lead, the cow stayed where it was. Our group became separated, 2 in front by about 100 meters, I could see the front 2 people were closing in on a group of cows, I now know they walked through the middle of the group of cattle. Our friends were waiting for us just beyond the cattle, we approached slowly with our dog on a short lead and I immediately felt threatened.”

Welsh Coastal path close call – saved by a dog

Response ID 309,843,934

Incident number 1041
Date of incident: 9/11/24
Location: Welsh Coastal path between Pembrey forest and Kidwelly https://w3w.co/inspector.lecturers.provoking

Description: Two of us were heading back after a long walk about 5pm, it had gotten dark. We met 2 young men coming towards us who warned us that cows had charged at them and they were now trying to find another way home, they did not have a dog with them. We had already walked 13 miles with less than 1 to go till we got to the car, plus we thought they might have been exaggerating, so we continued on.

“We came upon some cows that were blocking the path and going around them wasn’t an option (the surrounding area is wet) so we approached calmly but as soon as they’d seen us they started to approach, some faster than others and they charged then stopped, then charged then stopped. Their behaviour was very threatening. I put the light on my phone and used it to dazzle them and try get them to back off while walking backwards. I had my dog on lead who was calm and controlled initially, but when the cattle had basically surrounded us he started to bark and push them back, we had to continue to walk backwards because every time we turned they would charge. They eventually stopped following us but then we came across another group of about 20-30 blocking the path and had to go through it all again, I’m honestly not sure what would have happened if our dog hadn’t protected us.”
“I absolutely believe that our dog saved us and if something had happened to us we were in middle of nowhere and nobody would have found us for some time.”

Killer Cows notes this attack is on the same stretch of the coastal path as Glyn Austin’s attack – it appears that no safety measures have been introduced.

https://killercows.co.uk/2023/10/12/glyn-austins-tale-attack-on-welsh-coastal-path/

Cee wants footpaths kept open with electric fencing if cattle are in a field with a footpath.

Response ID 309,769,038

Report number 1040
Date: 8/11/24
Location: imported.perch.cursing Field between long lane and Ennys lane, St Hilary, Cornwall
Cows with calves in the field.

Description: I was walking my dog on a footpath across the field, she was on a lead, she is scared of cows so was pulling away from them. We got herded into the hedge by the cattle and then I got head butted and knocked over. I managed to get out of the field but then realised my phone had been knocked out of my pocket so I had to go back. I tied Kenza up and went to look for it. Unfortunately I was knocked over again and then there was a sustained attack by two or three of them. I really thought my number was up. They were trampling me and head butting. They only stopped when I stopped moving and I eventually managed to crawl to a gateway and escape into another field.”

“I have chipped a tooth, another is very wobbly. I had a nose bleed. I am covered in bruises and can barely walk. This has only just happened so I am not sure of the extent of my injuries.”

Update: Cee has now been assessed at hospital and found to have broken ribs and a broken vertebra as a result of the cow attack – these are significant and serious injuries that will take time to recover from!

Cee would like “warning signs when there are cows with calves in fields with footpaths and footpaths kept open with electric fencing, with fines for farmers who don’t do this.”

Ingrid is chased by bullocks on the South Downs Way

Report Number 983
Date of incident: 22/8/2021
Location: On the South Downs Way, just across the A road between Housedean Farm and Southease, near the top of a large hill.

Group of bullocks (young bulls), lone walker, dog on lead

Report: “I got to a gated field which the South Downs Way ran directly through, where I saw what appeared to be a couple of young bullocks rearing up and bucking when a couple with a dog passed by, the couple were walking slowly, and didn’t appear to be in any immediate danger, so I stupidly opened the gate and tried to walk past, staying close to the fence. When the cows clocked me they suddenly gave chase, and I had to fling myself over the fence to get away from them.”

“The fence was topped with barbed wire and I was wearing shorts, so I tore one of my legs up quite badly and had three long scratches on it for a few weeks afterwards. It was getting dark by the time I reached the bottom of the hill and I was quite shaken.”

“I had to have a tetanus jab and my GP double-checked my scratches.”

Comment re signage “There was a sign at the bottom of the hill, warning of a bull in the field, but no sign on the gate I actually went through.”

Comment by Ingrid “The field that was occupied by the cows covered an extremely large and irregularly shaped stretch of the south downs way, I would appreciate it if farmers could, where possible, keep large herds away from some of our country’s most popular walking trails.”

Mrs Williams is chased by bullocks

Report Number: 982
Date of incident: 29/6/2024
Location: ///highways.viewer.call Nr St Buryan, Cornwall

Report: “Two of us were walking along a public footpath. We had got half way across the field when cows came round from a connecting field, they were a group of bullocks and they ran to us at the stile, I had our dog in my arms the whole time. Then we ran to a gate at the far end of the field so we could get into the next field and escape from them, unfortunately the gate for the cattle was open and they continued to chase us across that field.”

Comment: “I have a video of this. The footpaths were badly marked, I don’t think many people use this path. But it is on ordnance survey. I carry my dog when ever I see cows.”

Henry wants more protection for walkers so they can cross fields safely.

Report number: 979
Date of incident: 30/6/2017
Location: ///Leopard.Riverboat.Soonest. Between Stanton Prior, BA2 9HT and Bath Spa University campus,

Group of cows involved, black angus, red angus, Angus/Hereford cross, lone walker, no dog

Report: “I had passed through the field the day before and observed the cows were very alert and territorial, despite there being no observable calves. On that occasion I decided to leave the field through a fence as I was uncomfortable walking further. The day of the attack I was walking in the opposite direction, from Stanton Prior to Bath Spa University, where I was a student. I entered the field via the footpath and saw the cows on the far side of the field, approx. 400m away. With so much distance between us I felt reasonably ok about walking through, despite my encounter with them the previous day. However, as I continued to walk, keeping a close eye at all times, they gradually began to notice my presence and turned towards me. I kept walking as they were still far away, but then the herd began to move in my direction. I had already picked an exit point to get to if needed and I began to slowly move in the direction of the gap in the hedgerow by the fence. As I was moving away they began to run towards me in a long line, with one cow breaking off and running down the fence line. I was able to get over the fence just before the cow reached me. Had I not been aware of the herd’s previous behaviour and picked an exit route, I’m not sure I would have made it away unscathed. The hedgerow was thick and there were long stretches without exit points. The method the cattle used with one running along the fence line and the remainder spread out and running towards the fence line would have made outrunning them very difficult. I had no dog, was moving cautiously and always keeping distance. In other words this was totally unprovoked and potentially very serious. I filmed the entire encounter as I was so concerned something might happen.”

“I informed the farmer who didn’t take the incident seriously and told me how nice the cows were. This incident totally changed the way I walk in the country, especially around livestock. I will not enter a field with cows again as a result of this.”

Henry comments ” there should be more signage, more communication that this can happen to anyone, not just dog walkers. More exit routes in fields. Ideally more protection for ramblers/walkers so they can cross fields in safety. I used the route as my commute to university and work. Without crossing the field, my walk increased from 20 minutes to 1hr. I had no other method of transportation.”