What should you do if you are attacked by cows? (2024)

Advice has been issued for dog walkers after a Plymouth woman was knocked over and repeatedly trampled by cows.

Mother-of-two Sharyn Partridge was attacked by the cow and she tried to return to her car, fearing the animal would kill her as she lay on the ground.

Sharyn says she was rescued when a passing driver stopped and chased the cow away, leaving her severely bruised and shaken.

Advice from Enjoythecountryside.com states that cows can become aggressive in the spring and summer, when they have calves to protect.

Adds: "Cows will stampede as a herd if they feel one of their numbers is in danger. Surprisingly, more people have been killed by cows in Britain than by bulls."

The advice is:

• Do not behave in a way that the cows may perceive as aggressive. Don't try to scare them away by waving your arms, yelling, or being hostile.
• Walk as far away from them as possible, following a footpath if there is one; they will be used to people following this path, and will be more likely to view your behavior as safely predictable.
• Dogs are often involved in aggressive incidents with cows. Keep dogs under control at all times, as a cow often becomes aggressive if a dog tries to chase, or the herd may move on once the dog is reunited with the owner. If cows attack you because they react to your dog, release the dog so you can get to safety. The dog will almost certainly take care of itself.
• Make sure you stay well away from calves and avoid entering a pasture when they are present. Aggressive encounters often involve mothers protecting calves in early spring or summer. Do not attempt to pet or touch calves, no matter how attractive they look.
• Avoid walking directly through a herd of cows if possible, but if you find yourself having to walk through one, try to stay on the established path if there is one. Speak in a calm voice to encourage the cows to get out of the way and move slowly and peacefully.
• If you encounter cows in an area where there is no trail, assess the surrounding terrain carefully. Don't endanger yourself trying to avoid cows if it exposes you to rocks or other steep, exposed terrain.
• Make sure the cows see you as you approach so you don't surprise them. Because of the location of their eyes, cows don't have a straight line of sight, so make sure they respond to your voice and get out of the way before you get too close.
• If cows come to you as a group, they may be curious. Stay calm and keep moving forward calmly and quickly and try to pass them without making any surprising movements. Cows will likely leave you alone once they realize you aren't a threat.
• If you notice an aggressive cow or a threatening group of cows, keep moving quietly and do not make direct eye contact. Keep your body facing the cow; do not turn your back on the animal or run away.
• If you are attacked, hit the animal directly on the nose to deter it.

Sharyn, from Barne Barton in Plymouth, was returning to her car after taking her 12-year-old Jack Russell Suki for a walk in Clearbrook, near Yelverton, when the attack happened.

“I haven't been that way before and thought I'd try somewhere else,” she said. “There was a herd of cows walking across, so we stayed away and it all seemed fine.

'They seemed happy enough to chew on the grass. We passed them and walked further back to where I had parked the car.'

But as she got closer to the parking lot, she saw another cow that seemed anxious. She said: “On the other side I saw this black and white cow and a black baby cow coming.

'They were behind the others. She made a noise and then a brown cow appeared.

'She clearly called the other cows. I thought I should take a break with the dog.”

A few seconds later the cow rushed towards the helpless mother. When the cow came into the parking lot, she looked at me,” she said.

'I thought I would just stand still and she would walk past me, but she decided not to. She came a little closer and I had a feeling something was wrong, so I picked Suki up.

“Then she put her head down and knocked me to the ground. I let the dog loose so she could get away.

“The cow just trampled me. I tried to protect my head with my hands. I rolled onto my stomach and put my head down. I actually thought 'I'm going to die'. It was terrifying.”

Luckily, a van pulled into the parking lot and distracted the cow, allowing Sharyn to escape.

“I heard a vehicle and it obviously scared her,” she said. “It was a gentleman named Dave in a van.

“I'm not sure if he pulled into the parking lot anyway or saw what happened, but he saved me. He is my hero.

"He got out and was brilliant. He told me to calm down. I was so worried about my dog. I called her back. She was very shocked. When the cow got me she was barking and running around."

Dave drove Sharyn and Suki to her car so she didn't have to confront the cows anymore.

The mother was left shocked and badly bruised, but managed to escape serious injury. “I'm very bruised, especially on my stomach where a hoof obviously went into me,” she said.

“I also hurt my leg, but I'm just glad I didn't have my kids with me at the time.”

Now she is calling on others to be extra careful when walking near cows with young calves.

“I don't blame the cow,” she said. “Maybe she had an experience with a dog or something in the past.

“She was just trying to protect her cubs, but I want others to pay attention.”