Two pilgrims trapped in tree by a cow

[Bradypus]

Something a little unusual on the Spanish news websites today. Two pilgrims forced to climb an oak tree to escape from a cow defending her calf. Apparently they called the Guardia Civil from their perch in the tree and the Guardia moved the cattle to allow the pilgrims to continue their journey.

La Guardia Civil auxilia en Cáceres a dos peregrinos que se subieron a una encina cuando trató de embestirles una vaca

Agentes de la Guardia Civil han auxiliado a dos peregrinos que se subieron a una encina cuando trató de embestirles una vaca cuando iban realizando el...

www.cope.es

 

[Starseeker54]

never underestimate a cow defending her calf.
never get between them and just give them both a wide berth.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

never underestimate a cow defending her calf.
never get between them and just give them both a wide berth.

On one of my Caminos a calf had obviously gotten out of the fence; (he wanted to walk the Camino) and the mother kept mooing, obviously extremely distressed as she kept her eye on baby. A pilgrim we'd met, Leavin, picked it up and gently placed it back with mom on the other side, careful to not nick the baby or himself on the barbed wire.

 

[Corned Beef]

Dogs on the Camino .... and now cows.

 

[wynrich]

Oh gosh, the title of this thread made me laugh, but it shouldn't have. It must have been really scary. Made me think of a place on the Norte that my husband and I walked through. The camino path went right through a herd of cows with no fencing. There were quite a number of cows including some calves and even a bull. We were really really nervous walking through there. It was about half way between Naves and Ribadesella: https://maps.app.goo.gl/z66nv9EQdpDeXKFi7 I'll attach a couple of photos. (But, as you can see from the photos, the cows mostly ignored us.) Does anyone else remember this happening to them at that point?

 

[Camino Chrissy]

@wynrich, I remember that exact place with that church in the open field. In fact the Norte is where my post #3 happened, near there, but not in that spot.

 

[Bradypus]

Does anyone else remember this happening to them?

On my first Camino the route crossed a field not far from Roncesvalles - long since rerouted. A large bull stood right in the middle of the path. A worrying sight on my first morning in Spain. No signs of any aggression and I made a wide circle around him!

 

[Camino Chrissy]

On my first Camino the route crossed a field not far from Roncesvalles - long since rerouted. A large bull stood right in the middle of the path. A worrying sight on my first morning in Spain. No signs of any aggression and I made a wide circle around him!

If you'd have turned around in fear and hightailed it back to SJPdP, you may never have completed your first Camino, let alone the plethora you have walked all these many years since.

 

[Bradypus]

If you'd have turned around in fear and hightailed it back to SJPdP, you may never have completed your first Camino, let alone the plethora you have walked all these many years since.

True. But it was my first full day in Spain and my mind was full of clichés. Spain? Bull??? At that point I still believed that Spain was all heat and dust and bullrings

 

[jungleboy]

On the Caminho Nascente in Portugal we saw several ‘Careful: Wild Cattle’ (or similar) signs. One such time we saw them ahead of us and had a long-distance staring contest until they moved away. That moment created one of my favourite photos from that camino of Wendy, the cows, the trail and the Alentejo countryside:

 

[Tandem Graham]

The title (and Bradypus's authorship) made me expect a joke:"have you heard the one about two pilgrims stuck in a tree..? .."!
But actually, I have seen the horns on some Spanish cows, and I can imagine this being a scary ordeal.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

True. But it was my first full day in Spain and my mind was full of clichés. Spain? Bull??? At that point I still believed that Spain was all heat and dust and bullrings

Well, I was kind of exaggerating. I have a bear phobia and can not totally enjoy myself when I've hiked numerous times over the years in our beautiful Rockies. I seriously thought Spain's Caminos were "bear free" zones, but recent threads have shown me otherwise. I do not want to worry when I head out again on the Sanabres next month.

 

[Bradypus]

The title (and Bradypus's authorship) made me expect a joke:

Really? My reputation must have changed lately. My mother told me once that I was far too serious for my years. She said that I was born aged 40 and just got older and more boring every year from then on....

 

[Meggie]

Oh gosh, the title of this thread made me laugh, but it shouldn't have. It must have been really scary. Made me think of a place on the Norte that my husband and I walked through. The camino path went right through a herd of cows with no fencing. There were quite a number of cows including some calves and even a bull. We were really really nervous walking through there. It was about half way between Naves and Ribadesella: https://maps.app.goo.gl/z66nv9EQdpDeXKFi7 I'll attach a couple of photos. (But, as you can see from the photos, the cows mostly ignored us.) Does anyone else remember this happening to them at that point?

Yes I had the same experience same exact spot. I tried several times and turned around. Then a young lady from Belgium came along. She was too preoccupied with other troubles to give a crap about the bulls & cows with enormous horns. I walked right by her side and nobody was gorged.

 

[bprohs]

If you'd have turned around in fear and hightailed it back to SJPdP, you may never have completed your first Camino, let alone the plethora you have walked all these many years since.

 

[jwcurry]

Bovines on the divine…..

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Bovines on the divine…..

Yes, the church in that field offered the protection of the divine.

 

[John Gilliland]

I’m old enough to remember newspaper clipping services (before the Internet) and I appreciate Bradypus posting Camino articles for us from the Spanish press. Thank you.

 

[Bothydave]

Cattle, especially young curious ones are never to be trifled with. I have dealt with several human fatalities through cattle movement. Not necessarily through badness on the part of the cattle, more due to human stupidity.

 

[AlexHamilton]

Something a little unusual on the Spanish news websites today. Two pilgrims forced to climb an oak tree to escape from a cow defending her calf. Apparently they called the Guardia Civil from their perch in the tree and the Guardia moved the cattle to allow the pilgrims to continue their journey.

La Guardia Civil auxilia en Cáceres a dos peregrinos que se subieron a una encina cuando trató de embestirles una vaca

Agentes de la Guardia Civil han auxiliado a dos peregrinos que se subieron a una encina cuando trató de embestirles una vaca cuando iban realizando el...

www.cope.es

We witnessed some pilgrim in a field with Bulls. The owner was screaming at him in Spanish to get out but he kept walking thru the herd. Understandable the owner was furious. Please, this is someone’s livelihood and property. We are guests.

 

[Bradypus]

We witnessed some pilgrim in a field with Bulls. The owner was screaming at him in Spanish to get out but he kept walking thru the herd. Understandable the owner was furious. Please, this is someone’s livelihood and property. We are guests.

Parts of the Via de la Plata cross the vast dehesa enclosures with cattle, pigs and sheep. Nothing in the article suggests that the pilgrims had wandered off the marked path. But it would be wise to steer clear of cattle with calves as much as possible.

 

[Tincatinker]

I find singing a rousing chorus of “You’ll soon be a burger, yes you will” to the tune of “She’ll be coming round the mountain” efficacious

 

[Pelegrin]

"La vaca trataba de embestirles" the cow was only threatening but the cow didn't persecute them for sure because in that case two men ( one of them 64) with backpacks couldn't climb very quickly a holm oak to enough high. A cow can run 30 km/h or even more, so no time for that. They were scared and decided to climb the tree just in case. I think that those two men ( or women) walking with poles were never in real danger with the cows. My opinion.

 

[Harland2019]

Decided to walk past it rather than return!

 

[bullingtonce]

Something a little unusual on the Spanish news websites today. Two pilgrims forced to climb an oak tree to escape from a cow defending her calf. Apparently they called the Guardia Civil from their perch in the tree and the Guardia moved the cattle to allow the pilgrims to continue their journey.

La Guardia Civil auxilia en Cáceres a dos peregrinos que se subieron a una encina cuando trató de embestirles una vaca

Agentes de la Guardia Civil han auxiliado a dos peregrinos que se subieron a una encina cuando trató de embestirles una vaca cuando iban realizando el...

www.cope.es

Better a protective mother cow as opposed to a rabid dog or bear.

 

[Purky]

Cows kill more people than sharks do. No joke.

 

[Tincatinker]

Cows kill more people than sharks do

Mainly through Obesity and Heart Attack - not joking either

 

[davebugg]

The best defense against an irritated cow heading your way? Look directly at the cow with a hungry expression on your face, and while pointing at the cow loudly shout one word as often as needed: "Cheeseburgers"

 

[TheBigT]

On the Caminho Nascente in Portugal we saw several ‘Careful: Wild Cattle’ (or similar) signs. One such time we saw them ahead of us and had a long-distance staring contest until they moved away. That moment created one of my favourite photos from that camino of Wendy, the cows, the trail and the Alentejo countryside:

View attachment 166143

Wonderful photo, thanks for sharing!

 

[CWBuff]

And unfortunately the little video clip that I was trying to take while the little guy was very happy chewing on my backpack straps somehow did not get saved much to my dismay.

 

[falconbrother]

My grandfather was a dairy farmer. Spent a few summers with cows. They are usually docile. Bulls however.. Depending on the circumstances they can be very dangerous. From what I observed if they are still intact and in with cows they can be aggressive. I’ve never witnessed an aggressive cow.

 

[Bothydave]

J

My grandfather was a dairy farmer. Spent a few summers with cows. They are usually docile. Bulls however.. Depending on the circumstances they can be very dangerous. From what I observed if they are still intact and in with cows they can be aggressive. I’ve never witnessed an aggressive cow.

i have seen madly aggressive cows. Had to have 3 shot on separate occasions after they escaped at markets. You can tell when they want to kill humans as the whole body posture changes. Never underestimate cattle. Treat them with respect and they respect you.

In addition you get accidents. Especially in narrow lanes when I saw a pilgrim accidentally gored buy a passing cow startled while moving with a small herd.

 

[dick bird]

Cows kill more people than sharks do. No joke.

This may be because there are more of them. Sharks also tend not to hang around in fields in large groups.

 

[Bradypus]

Sharks also tend not to hang around in fields in large groups.

They seem to prefer golf courses.

https://edition.cnn.com/2023/10/18/sport/carbrook-bull-sharks-australia-golf-course-spt-spc-intl/index.html

 

[David]

On average eight people in the UK are killed by cattle each year. I am very wary (read scared) of them, as I was once attacked by a cow, for no apparent reason - no calf - I tried punching it on the nose but that had no effect. It threw me up onto a barbed wire fence, where I got a little stuck, but the farmer was close by and moved it away and unhooked me.

That said, cows are usually docile but they are big and heavy (and clumsy around humans).

 

[Camino Chrissy]

In addition you get accidents. Especially in narrow lanes when I saw a pilgrim accidentally gored buy a passing cow startled while moving with a small herd.

I have been caught in this type of situation a few times and it is a bit unsettling when walking on a narrow stretch with barely anywhere to step off the trail. I took this photo last year when the cows started coming around a bend, but eventually there were at least 20 crowding the path.

 

[Harland2019]

Normally if I see cows on a path/in a field I stick close to the edge, looking at the height of the hedge/wall, and wonder if I can still do the high jump 60 years later than in when in my prime. I believe that in the event of an emergency as I unbuckle my rucksack when I see them approaching that, no matter what, I am going over the hedge head first despite thorns/barbed wire, etc!

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

I am very wary (read scared) of them, as I was once attacked by a cow, for no apparent reason

A repost:

The poet T. S. Eliot, known for his verses about cats, did not like cows. He made this clear in a little known verse titled "The Country Walk".

T.S. Eliot Among The Cows

By Ian Halbert In a previous post I discussed the habit of Robert Frost’s father tippling cups of ox blood for to cure his con...

theruralsite.blogspot.com

Now that you've read "The Country Walk" you understand why Eliot won a Noble Prize for Literature, right?

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

NZ accident rates ( reported incidents) involving cattle typically sit over 2,000 per year, the more serious of which are mostly fractures and crush injuries I believe. Death's are fortunately very rare.

Whilst most of the time cattle are placid, maternal instincts can be strong. Plus, the more cattle you have, the higher the potential for accidents - by cattle being startled as per @Bothydave example for instance. Plus, very, very occasionally you come across a vicious bstd - extremely rare, but.. .
Like many things, it's a numbers game.

NZ has appx. 5.9 dairy cattle (Spain only 800,000).
I strongly suspect that if our cattle weren't de-horned the death rate would be much, much higher.

 

[Sue127]

I remember meeting cows being chivvied along by a working dog whilst the farmer was in his truck at the far end of a field. The cows were sharing the path, coming down, as I was on my way up to
View attachment B414AC47-9074-44B1-B772-83EB7C0FD6E8.mp4
View attachment 82609E41-8D2E-41E7-ABFF-1433CEE9301F.mp4
O' Cebriero.

 

[pjacobi]

It's far more likely that the pilgrims were the aggressor - "Oh, let's go pet the cow!"


-Paul

 

[andylm65]

Oh gosh, the title of this thread made me laugh, but it shouldn't have. It must have been really scary. Made me think of a place on the Norte that my husband and I walked through. The camino path went right through a herd of cows with no fencing. There were quite a number of cows including some calves and even a bull. We were really really nervous walking through there. It was about half way between Naves and Ribadesella: https://maps.app.goo.gl/z66nv9EQdpDeXKFi7 I'll attach a couple of photos. (But, as you can see from the photos, the cows mostly ignored us.) Does anyone else remember this happening to them at that point?

I do recall that spot, on a no cow day.

 

[Lindsay53]

I had a similar incident on the West Highland Way. A herd of cows in a narrow lane with stone walls on each side. They were placid enough but had they decided to move when I was walking past them I would have had nowhere to go. I climbed down to the nearby railway line and walked along there instead until I was safely past. Better to risk the 4:10 to Fort William than the wrath of the hielan' coo!

 

[PedrodeWalker]

In the end Good Moos

 

[KiwiBrownz]

I have been caught in this type of situation a few times and it is a bit unsettling when walking on a narrow stretch with barely anywhere to step off the trail. I took this photo last year when the cows started coming around a bend, but eventually there were at least 20 crowding the path.
View attachment 166169

Spanish cows are very big and gave long horns, quite unsettling

 

[Starseeker54]

i found a good hearty burst of waltzing Matilda produces that magic passage,that allows me to pass unimpeded.works of both cows and all dogs.

 

[LALivingston]

Oh gosh, the title of this thread made me laugh, but it shouldn't have. It must have been really scary. Made me think of a place on the Norte that my husband and I walked through. The camino path went right through a herd of cows with no fencing. There were quite a number of cows including some calves and even a bull. We were really really nervous walking through there. It was about half way between Naves and Ribadesella: https://maps.app.goo.gl/z66nv9EQdpDeXKFi7 I'll attach a couple of photos. (But, as you can see from the photos, the cows mostly ignored us.) Does anyone else remember this happening to them at that point?

Yes, also on the Norte. Except in my case, the trail through the cows was only a few feet wide and hemmed in by hedges. No place to run if a cow (or the bull) decided to get ornery. Having grown up around cows, I just walked through them (nervously), and spoke softly to them. They were, in the end, very unconcerned about my presence.

 

[Pelegrin]

I called the Guardia Civil in Cáceres to get more information about this incident. The officer agreed what I wrote in a previous post about that I thought they weren't in real danger and simply were scared because the cows had calves and made kind of aggressive gestures. The cow breed was Avileña that is common in VDLP. This breed is black and remainds the bulls for bullfights. This fact could contribute to the feeling of fear in the pilgrims. Apparently this breed could be more "agressive" when having calves than the breeds on other caminos, but I am not sure about this point. Finally, I told the officer that the Forum members opinion was in general quite good about their service to pilgrims. He mentioned the app "allertcops" that is centralized in Madrid and that they were always willing to help pilgrims.

 

[Nick MJ]

On the Caminho Nascente in Portugal we saw several ‘Careful: Wild Cattle’ (or similar) signs. One such time we saw them ahead of us and had a long-distance staring contest until they moved away. That moment created one of my favourite photos from that camino of Wendy, the cows, the trail and the Alentejo countryside:

View attachment 166143

I was on the Nascente last week and came across a field full of cows - possibly the same place. Blithely started walking through them (I’ve lived in the countryside all my life and am used to cattle) and then spotted the bull watching me walking among his girls. And pawing the ground and lowering its head. I took the 8km detour.

 

[Bad Pilgrim]

Well I say it's all about moo-tual respect.

 

[jungleboy]

I was on the Nascente last week and came across a field full of cows - possibly the same place. Blithely started walking through them (I’ve lived in the countryside all my life and am used to cattle) and then spotted the bull watching me walking among his girls. And pawing the ground and lowering its head. I took the 8km detour.

Better safe than sorry! That photo was taken shortly after Viana do Alentejo but we saw the ‘Gado Bravo’ warning signs several other times as well.

 

[peregrina2000]

Better safe than sorry! That photo was taken shortly after Viana do Alentejo but we saw the ‘Gado Bravo’ warning signs several other times as well.

I know we’ve had this discussion many times before, but my understanding from Spanish pilgrims and friends (assuming it’s the same in Portugal, but maybe not) is that ganado bravo are the ones raised for bull-fighting and are kept by law securely corralled and inaccessible to walkers. The post that put my mind to rest was years ago when someone noted that the value of these toros bravos is so high that no owner would leave them out running around anyway. I have passed several fincas where there were security cameras, sturdy metal gating, and lots of signs with warnings, but don’t think I’ve ever walked through a field with a sign saying I was entering a place with toros bravos.

Did you walk through places that announced “gado bravo”, Nick? And do you know if it means the same thing in Portugal as in Spain?

 

[Nick MJ]

I walked past gado bravo signs a couple of times and all the bulls were safely behind decent fences so not a problem. Perhaps fighting bulls are too valuable to risk them charging at random pilgrims!

The bull that saw me off was not a fighting bull (and it was after Viana, @jungleboy ) but just watching over his ladies. Any bull can be dangerous on the wrong day and pawing the ground and showing horns (by lowering the head) is a sign that they are not in the best of moods. He may have been ok but I wasn't going to risk it with an unknown animal, particularly where the fencing is topped with barbed wire so hopping over a fence to get out of the way is problematic.

Perhaps he took offence at my Tilley hat

 

[peregrina2000]

Perhaps he took offence at my Tilley hat

That would have been enough for me to lower my head and start pawing the ground.

 

[jungleboy]

Did you walk through places that announced “gado bravo”, Nick?

Yes, several times in the Alentejo, and the signs were always followed by a herd of cows unfenced shortly after, who seemed (to our untrained eyes) to be behaving strangely, more anxious/aggressive and less docile than usual.

And do you know if it means the same thing in Portugal as in Spain?

Wendy just asked Chat GPT (for whatever that's worth!) who said in Portugal it can refer to animals raised for bullfighting, but not necessarily only those:

A expressão "gado bravo" é frequentemente associada à tauromaquia devido ao uso desses animais em corridas de touros. No entanto, também pode ser utilizada em contextos relacionados com as indústrias de carne ou leite, especialmente quando se refere a animais de criação que são mais agressivos ou difíceis de manejar. Em algumas regiões, certas raças de gado são selecionadas especificamente por suas características de bravura ou resistência, o que pode torná-las mais adequadas para determinados fins, como a produção de carne ou leite em ambientes mais hostis.

The expression "gado bravo" is often associated with bullfighting due to the use of these animals in bullfights. However, it can also be used in contexts related to the meat or dairy industries, especially when referring to livestock that are more aggressive or difficult to handle. In some regions, certain breeds of cattle are specifically selected for their bravery or resilience characteristics, which can make them more suitable for certain purposes, such as meat or milk production in more hostile environments.

 

[JabbaPapa]

At one point in IIRC Western Castilia on my last Camino, the "trail" passed through cattle fields. The cows started following me, and the bull looked annoyed, but really just glared at me as I was not the farmer.

Eventually I shooed the cows away, waited for the bull sullenly to pass, walked on, then when the cows tried to start following again, I shooed them off more volubly, tried to demonstrate that I was NOT the farmer, then walked on.

The bull seemed eventually to decide I was OK after that. Then again, I had lived in childhood for three years next to a herd of cattle ...

This was particularly annoying on the day though as I really needed a sit-down, and it was 2 to 4 K after that before I found another one, without a herd lording over it.

 

[Pelegrin]

In Spain Ganado Bravo is always for bullfights. Selecting Gado Bravo in Portugal because their bravery could be good for meat and milk production is first news for me.

 

[Theatregal]

The time I've been most nervous walking through a herd of unfenced cows (mixed in with wild horses) was on the Hospitales route on the Primitivo. They were mingling on and around the path. No turning back or going around. My walking companion and I walked through slowly and maneuvered around them wherever we could and they didn't pay us much attention. I did back away at one point when I noticed a lovely face lurking and staring at me pretty suspiciously as I was stepping in to explore some of the ruins of the Hospital de Fonfaraón. All in all it was pretty spectacular if a bit nerve-racking!

 

[alexwalker]

Maybe show them your credencial?

I heard a story about a policeman arriving at a farm, telling the farmer he was going to search for contraband. The farmer told him he could search anywhere, but also told him to keep away from a distant, fenced field. The Policeman took out his badge and said: "Do you see this badge???!!! With this badge I have the authority to go ANYWHERE! Noone can stop me!!!"

The farmer said nothing.

After a while, the policeman came running, screaming, and behind him came Old Slaughter running, the meanest bull in the country, closing in on him rapidly. It was a matter of seconds before deadly impact, so the farmer shouted:

"Show him the badge!!! Show him the godd*mn badge!!!"

 

[Chris Day]

Dogs on the Camino .... and now cows.

Bradypus in post#21 rightly included pigs.
The only time that an animal of any kind on Camino has truly scared me was in 2016 and also on the VdlP….the difference being that it was a pig - actually a fairly large herd/“collective nounfull” of pigs, with one particularly aggressive “lead pig”.
I was in one of those remote parts of the route and alone.
I got shunted to the path-side by the pigs, where there was a wide but shallow ditch with a bank/higher ground above. I knew that if my jump across the ditch to the higher ground went wrong and I ended flat in the ditch, then I’d be set upon and probably overcome by the swine. They seemed huge and overly aggressive.

The jump worked and the higher level - plus aggressive stuff from me - made them lose interest seemingly, as quickly as they had become “interested” in me….Pigs, eh!

 

[bprohs]

Well I say it's all about moo-tual respect.

Well I say it's all about moo-tual respect.

And that’s no bull…