WilliamC
Thru Hiker
I've seen it often on goats. It keeps the kids from the milk.
What? Cows murdering walkers
- Thread starter Daymoth
- Start date
cathyjc
Thru Hiker
Rog Tallbloke
Thru Hiker
Cows are getting lairy again.
Another fatal trampling in West Yorkshire:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-54377292
A man died and woman was seriously injured when they were trampled by a herd of cows, police have said.
Emergency services were called to a field off Hollinghirst Lane in Netherton near Wakefield at 12:45 BST on Tuesday.
The pair, both aged in their 50s, were treated by paramedics but the man died at the scene.
The woman was airlifted to hospital, where she remains in a "serious but stable" condition.
Some analysis here:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-54268160
Between 2015-16 and 2019-2020 the HSE investigated 142 incidents. Only 22 of them resulted in a death and the majority related to people who worked with cattle.
Members of the public accounted for only four of those deaths, the HSE confirmed.
It added that it investigated 65 non-fatal incidents involving cattle and members of the public over the same period.
So, four in four years and then this recent spate of incidents. I wonder if mask wearing is a factor.
Another fatal trampling in West Yorkshire:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-54377292
A man died and woman was seriously injured when they were trampled by a herd of cows, police have said.
Emergency services were called to a field off Hollinghirst Lane in Netherton near Wakefield at 12:45 BST on Tuesday.
The pair, both aged in their 50s, were treated by paramedics but the man died at the scene.
The woman was airlifted to hospital, where she remains in a "serious but stable" condition.
Some analysis here:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-54268160
Between 2015-16 and 2019-2020 the HSE investigated 142 incidents. Only 22 of them resulted in a death and the majority related to people who worked with cattle.
Members of the public accounted for only four of those deaths, the HSE confirmed.
It added that it investigated 65 non-fatal incidents involving cattle and members of the public over the same period.
So, four in four years and then this recent spate of incidents. I wonder if mask wearing is a factor.
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Foxster
Section Hiker
That's a bit of a spurious suggestion.
It more likely simply related to the massive increase in the number of people holidaying in the UK countryside this year, which means a lot more people in contact with cattle.
Odd Man
Thru Hiker
I haven't seen at all, except when in shops or cafes before/after walks.
DuneElliot
Section Hiker
I have seen a couple. It was very strange
DuneElliot
Section Hiker
I would agree that this is exactly it. And people who aren't necessarily used to the countryside too...and how much cows need respect and distance. Other than dogs (or the presence of calves) I am curious what triggers a cow to get aggressive in these instances.
Rog Tallbloke
Thru Hiker
It may well be spurious. Just a possibility, not put forward as a probability.
Foxster
Section Hiker
K. Just sounded like something Trump would say..."A hurricane in Texas ya say? That'll be those darned face masks".
Rog Tallbloke
Thru Hiker
Bit of a difference between "I wonder" and "that'll be". Maybe you don't see it through your goggles.
Rog Tallbloke
Thru Hiker
Actually, that sounds more like something Al Gore would say... "A hurricane in Texas ya say? That'll be your darned 4x4 Ford Explorers"
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), today - Bull surrounded by his ladies and their offspring. After a few minutes eyeing each other up and me hoping he'd shift - I gave up and changed my route. Everyone was happy 
.
Michael_x
Section Hiker
It would be interesting if a qualified statistician analysed the data (i.e. Not a Dunning Kruger type). Is this apparent blip in bovine aggressive behaviour related fatalities real and significant or simply noise?
If "real", is it related to an increased number of humans in cattle territory and also the way those humans are behaving? Maybe not but those seem logical hypothesis and testable. Myself I suspect that to be the case.
I view cattle with respect and caution. A few years back a neighbour of mine was killed by his cattle. As a dairy farmer he knew cows better than almost anyone. Freak combination of circumstances and he was crushed. Ouch
Perhaps we simply have more people in the countryside who lack an awareness of what an animal that weighs much the same as a small car can do if it's p.i.s.s.e.d off. Let alone a field full of them.
If "real", is it related to an increased number of humans in cattle territory and also the way those humans are behaving? Maybe not but those seem logical hypothesis and testable. Myself I suspect that to be the case.
I view cattle with respect and caution. A few years back a neighbour of mine was killed by his cattle. As a dairy farmer he knew cows better than almost anyone. Freak combination of circumstances and he was crushed. Ouch
Perhaps we simply have more people in the countryside who lack an awareness of what an animal that weighs much the same as a small car can do if it's p.i.s.s.e.d off. Let alone a field full of them.
DuneElliot
Section Hiker
I agree with this 100%. It's the fight or flight instinct. In small pastures they can't use "flight" so they have to resort to the other. I think they are also a whole lot less fearful of people in the UK, either because they are handled more or because they are so used to people going through their fields, and thus less likely to act like a prey animal and run when you get near them. In the US west, cattle would flee from you and, unless a calf was really newborn, they'd have a healthy respect for dogs too as dogs are used to round 'em up. I don't think I ever had a single issue with being charged by cattle in the US, no matter how close I got even with a dog, except when ear-tagging a newborn calf or in the pen when pushing them through the chutes for vaccinations etc
Rog Tallbloke
Thru Hiker
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Rog Tallbloke
Thru Hiker
That's going to leave a bruise.
cathyjc
Thru Hiker
Yes, sheep can be 'feisty'. I've had the odd 'stand off' with a bolshy sheep.
They signal their aggression with stamping. If you stamp back it shows you're not backing down - the winner is the one who stamps 'biggest and best'.
I've yet to be 'out stamped' and the sheep usually backs off after making their point.
They signal their aggression with stamping. If you stamp back it shows you're not backing down - the winner is the one who stamps 'biggest and best'.
I've yet to be 'out stamped' and the sheep usually backs off after making their point.
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WilliamC
Thru Hiker
It's the same with goats. There often seems to be an alpha goat. This one really didn't want to let us pass:
OwenM
Thru Hiker
That will often be the granny goat, the matrearch. One time at the Dom hut near Zermatt, a very large man was sitting outside in the beer garden eating a huge helping of cream cake. This attracted the attention of some kid goats. Foolishly he tried the chase them away. The granny goat shot across the beer garden head down and wam. Table, chair, cream cake and fat bloke went flying. She must have butted him half a dozen times. He ended up hanging onto her horns screaming for help. There must have been fifty odd people in that garden, all of them were rolling around laughing so much no one could go to his aid.It's the same with goats. There often seems to be an alpha goat. This one really didn't want to let us pass: