Man trampled to death by cows

[norseman]

Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire. A was killed by a herd of cows in a field. Another man who went to his aid was seriously injured.
WE had this last year and the year before and .....................
The common factor ? Dogs ! Don't blame the cows ! They don't see Fido, they see a predator wolf, and it's a fair bet that ,as in previous years, there would be calves in the herd. So the cows are just protecting their young.
Who is to blame ? That's simple - dog owners who frequently pay the price for their own stupidity. And this is not a case of "townies" out for a stroll, it is generally rural locals who should know better. Familiarity breeding contempt ?

[psychoslice]

Just imagine how many cows have been killed by humans, do I need to say anymore.

[Gem]

Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire. A was killed by a herd of cows in a field. Another man who went to his aid was seriously injured.
WE had this last year and the year before and .....................
The common factor ? Dogs ! Don't blame the cows ! They don't see Fido, they see a predator wolf, and it's a fair bet that ,as in previous years, there would be calves in the herd. So the cows are just protecting their young.
Who is to blame ? That's simple - dog owners who frequently pay the price for their own stupidity. And this is not a case of "townies" out for a stroll, it is generally rural locals who should know better. Familiarity breeding contempt ?

Yeah, it's never the stupid herd mentality of the stampede coz we just love furry animals, speshly cutsy widdew baby calfs,.... Nope, is the poor dead blokes stupidity for taking a stroll with his dog. Pfffft.

Bloody cows!

[Free_Spirit1983]

I don't mean to sound insensitive but natural selection springs to mind!

[Tobi]

Totally agree, norseman. I have seen local people here walking through fields of cows and bullocks (where footpaths are that dog-walkers regularly use) They wil go through no matter if the cows are there or not. They think not having the dogs leashed is a much better idea, as if the cows decide to charge, the dog will be freer to run and get out of the way.
NUTS!! in my opinion.
Cows who have calves will always rally to protect them against dogs running around. Cows are heavy, and a herd of them is TONS! They can also deliver a heck of a kick enough to kill a dog, and completely floor a human.
Bullocks and heifers most often want to charge, and race about and play, but even they are deadly dangerous.

I used to walk my dog regularly off-leash. She hardly ever went for a walk on a leash, except in towns (very rare) But I never walked her through a field of livestock. I would back straight off, walk anywhere else, go the long way round -anything to avoid a field of livestock, for her sake, my sake, and respect for the animals.

[Belle]

It's about time cows got their own back on the way we treat them, or abuse them, etc. I don't think this is the tip of the iceberg, nor do I think there is going to be a revolution run by cows, but part of me is thinking they are saying "hey, show us some respect".

[norseman]

We tend to forget that we have bred cows to be docile and stupid but the genes are still there under the surface. Cows have horns for a reason [look at the behaviour of Water Buffalo - they go mental if a lion approaches their herd]
Near to me is a medieval closed, walled estate called Chillingham Castle [look it up, it's an interesting read !]. Anyway, they have a herd of primeval British cattle which have been there for centuries - big brutes with wide horns and a pure strain. The public are not allowed to approach them and they are guarded by professional keepers. Occasionally, one of keepers gets careless and is killed by the cows - completely feral ! This potential is there in even our "Daisies" who keep us in milk and cheese.

[Tobi]

True! Cows can be quite fierce! I don't really blame them.
We think they are stupid, just like we think sheep are stupid. But I don't think they are.

[LPC]

No cow is stupid. Neither should we make value judgments about any animal's intelligence. If one looks at the actions of some humans, it makes one hesitant to apply the word "intelligent"! For example - the behaviour of humans taking dogs into fields of livestock, as cited by Norseman.

[astroboy]

Co-incidently, I was driving thru the countryside this evening (now is night, here) and I saw something strange where there are usually cowherds on motorbikes controlling their flocks near the roads.

The funny thing is when a calf strayed on the road, the man hit it's mother cow with a stick as if telling her to tell her calf to keep at the side.

I thought for a moment, maybe the veterinary should give an eye test to the cows and provide glasses for some. Poor cows get beaten, milked and then slaughtered.

[Tobi]

Now that's a perfect example of anthropomorphism and stupidity, astroboy! That the man would imagine the cow was capable of understanding HIS values and knowing exactly why she was being beaten with a stick, and being able to do anything about it!
I have seen this sort of thing time and again, with many humans being unable or unwilling to understand how animals feel, think, and operate. Animals will generally respond well to training...but many humans seem to never learn!

I agree with you. I feel dreadfully sorry for them too.

[Belle]

I've heard it said that cows have a collective soul, that exists within a herd and that they have agreed with humans to come down to the earth plane for the benefit of humans. However, we are so abusing their role with us that they are contemplating where they came from.

Part of me thinks they should, I love red meat and milk and would be so sad to see them off this planet as they are beautiful creatures, but their well-being and soul happiness and their being properly honoured is far far more important than my want of red meat / milk.

[astroboy]

Our love for red meat or milk is not natural. The milk is for the calf. We just picked up our eating habits from our old folks, that's why they say a disease runs in the family. It's a family's eating habits which are hard to discard.

[TruthJunkie]

Cows are big and will get aggressive, rather the alpha male(s) will get aggressive to protect the herd. Best bet is to "steer" clear yuck yuck yuck.

[Tobi]

Our love for red meat or milk is not natural. The milk is for the calf. We just picked up our eating habits from our old folks, that's why they say a disease runs in the family. It's a family's eating habits which are hard to discard.

Yes I believe we have no need of milk. Other foods contain protein and calcium. I was told by my parents, that when I was about 3 I suddenly refused milk, and when they asked me why I suddenly didn't like it, I said that I DID like it but it was for baby cows, and people didn't need it, that it would make them sick. And now I was getting older I didn't need milk any more.
Since then I hardly ever used it. But didn't extend my childish wisdom to things like milk chocolate, ice cream, cheese and butter! haha In fact, even though I'm now vegan I still am tempted by chocolate, and sometimes weaken!

[LPC]

In fact, even though I'm now vegan I still am tempted by chocolate, and sometimes weaken!
Yes, I know how you feel. I wish they'd take Kit-Kat off the shelves!

Dazzle the dog used to "put the brakes on" when he passed the ice-cream van, and my dear father used to buy him an ice-dream and hold it whilst it was slowly consumed. I still think of it when I see ice cream.

Ah well, who said the way of compassion was easy? But once you have embraced compassion, you can't really turn back....

[norseman]

True! Cows can be quite fierce! I don't really blame them.
We think they are stupid, just like we think sheep are stupid. But I don't think they are.
Tobi. you should see the sheep on the Yorkshire Moors - thugs and villains all ! They stand in the middle of the road. When you toot your car horn, they just give you the evil eye as if to say .... You ! These are not the fluffy wooly bundles but hard cases who live year round on the moors. :D Trample you under and mug you for your sandwiches. I kid you not !

[TruthJunkie]

My first impressions of a french supermarket went like this ... oh my g.... an entire side of a very long aisle filled top to bottom with every chocolate bar imaginable and most of it was healthy dark chocolate not found here in the states due to restrictions. What we get here in the states is absolutely infinitesimal to what the people in France get to choose from. The best chocolate of all are Belgian truffles. I made the mistake of buying 2 bags of truffles thinking they would survive the journey home. Wrong. Ate every last one and it just doesn't get any better, well, unless we are talking about pub brewed Belgium beer. I am not a big beer fan but again I was beside myself with how unbelievable it tasted and of course it is not available in bottles.

Same with dairy. I have never seen so many cheeses and dairy products. We had a friend out from New Zealand on the same trip who had never seen bottled water before. A few firsts on that trip. For the record I would take a fine cheese or chocolate over a steak.

[Tobi]

Yes, I know how you feel. I wish they'd take Kit-Kat off the shelves!

Dazzle the dog used to "put the brakes on" when he passed the ice-cream van, and my dear father used to buy him an ice-dream and hold it whilst it was slowly consumed. I still think of it when I see ice cream.

Ah well, who said the way of compassion was easy? But once you have embraced compassion, you can't really turn back....

I am waiting patiently for the day when a really good vegan milk chocolate is produced from hazelnut milk or even soya milk! I have tried this-and-that, and it has either been ridiculously expensive (for a wee tiny bar I could snaffle in 5 minutes flat!) or tastes horrible.

I never bought Misty an icecream :icon_frown: I wish now I had bought her one during her last days on Earth. Never thought of it.
But we visited a man who had a small herd of beautiful Jersey cows. Treated with the utmost compassion and milked by hand. (only a little from each as the calves were not taken from the mothers, neither were they given hormones etc) Gentle creatures. The man put his pail of milk on the grass and stopped to gather sticks to make a fire for tea for my friend and I.
About 10 minutes later I wondered where Misty was....I saw her eagerly guzzling from the warm pail of milk. A tremendous amount of it had disappeared, and she had the fattest belly I've ever seen! I said I was so sorry to the man but he didn't seem to mind at all!