Anthony is savagely attacked by cattle

Report number: 1128
Date of the attack: 4/5/25
Location: Public footpath leading to Nuthurst Village, near Horsham, West Sussex ///cucumber.rectangular.explorer
3/5 people and a dog on a lead

Anthony’s report: The public footpath cut through the middle of the field that had a herd of cows and calves. I have walked this field many times and told my friend and 7 year old son that we should be careful not separate the cows from their calves. The cows then moved away from us leaving the path clear for us to walk through. But they then circled behind us and started to approach aggressively. This spooked my dog who remained on the lead and the cows then charged and trampled me and continued a sustained attack. Every time I tried to get up they knocked me down. One cow in particular then led the ongoing attack using its hooves, head and horns. Holding onto its horns bought me some time until my friend was able to rescue my 7 year old son who was thankfully uninjured and then return to yell at the cows to distract them. This made them back off and I was able to get up and limp to the fence and climb over and call the emergency services who sent a helicopter and ambulance.”

“I have multiple broken ribs. Stitches to a large open wound on my leg. A large haematoma on the side of my head. I spent 5 days in the trauma unit of Brighton Hospital.”


“I have reported this to the local school and vet to help raise awareness.”

“I have much sympathy for farmers but I think that cows with calves should not be allowed on fields with unprotected public footpaths.

Carol and her child had to escape via barbed wire and nettles


Incident number: 1108
Response ID 314,539,408
Date of incident: 17/05/2025
Location: Beal, Goole, River Aire bank

Incident report: I was walking along the footpath with my 10 year old child and my dog on a lead. Cows were on top of river bank, we were on the lower part of the river bank with the dog quietly on the lead. The cows came running at us.

I let the dog off the lead & he ran off & most of the cows followed, we ran to the barbed wire fence. Our dog came back to us & the cows came running & kicking out at us! My 10 year old climbed through the barbed wire which had already been stretched (possibly by someone else trying to escape from the cattle?) I then had to climb through & stand in a ditch full of nettles & brambles hoping the cows would go away. They didn’t so I had to trample the way through with both of us getting stung severely! We then had to make our way through a corn field back to the path. My 10 year old is very distraught!

Child, footpath and boisterous cows!

Response ID 311,442,303
Incident number 1064
Date: 30.11.24
Site: Davenham, ///birds.intruders.storm
Type of cow: Group of bullocks
Dog: On lead at beginning of the incident.

Account: “I was walking with my 5 year old daughter and our Jack Russell terrier along a public footpath through the field. A cow started bucking it’s back legs and snorting at us. I told my five year old to run to the gate and I dropped the dog lead to run behind her. We managed to escape unscathed that day but it was an incredibly scary experience and I now avoid that field if the cows are present. I don’t think cows should be allowed on fields with footpaths.”

Kathleen ran to rescue a trampled boy

The cow trampled down the grandmother, and was trying to kill the boy.

In May 2015, I was walking with my husband along a footpath through a field behind Redhurst Cottage, Wetton Mill, near Ashbourne, Derbyshire

We walked past a group of cows and met a small boy with his grandmother walking in the opposite direction. I heard the grandmother say, Continue reading “Kathleen ran to rescue a trampled boy”