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]

Originally Posted by 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 ?

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!

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.

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.