Jura: testimony of an injured man after a cow attack

Have you been surprised by this cow attack? Therefore, Was it in a pasture open to the public?

Completely, yes. Similarly, Especially since I am not a city dweller and I know nature. However, I live in a small Vaudois village of 200 souls, with peasants and cows all around. Consequently, I do a lot of hikes. jura: testimony injured man after Therefore, am very often confronted with mother cows (Editor’s note: potentially dangerous, because they protect their offspring). In addition, There, I was on a national walking path, where I wandered with my dog.

How do you feel today?

Physically, better and better, even if I am broken everywhere. I have painkillers and I have a week’s work stoppage. I have the feder and two broken ribs, as well as hematomas everywhere. The doctors told me that I was a miracle. which I would not have survived if the cows had broken the coccyx or trampled on the belly. It went to a hair.

Do you feel like you have made a mistake in your route?

I always use marked pedestrian trails and never go through private fields. There, I was with my dog on a national jura: testimony injured man after route, so a very public place.

Is this place problematic?

I have already traveled almost 70% of the 600 kilometers from the crossing from north to South of Switzerland. I often meet cows with or without their little ones. According to the villagers. this is not the first time that hikers have had concerns in this field, which is very large. And the cows are not separated from the pedestrian path by an electric fence.

Would you have to act differently?

This is the question I ask myself. But I don’t see what I could have done differently. from the moment they came out by surprise from the grove. I was already widely engaged in the field, several hundred meters, with my dog at the foot. There was no electric barrier behind which I take refuge nearby. I did not want to run so as not to excite them. the entrance to the pasture was very far.

There was a sign announcing that cows could graze nearby with calves. and that it was necessary to be particularly careful. When did you understand that you were in danger?

Yes, there was a sign. I looked, but we didn’t see any cattle in this field and I didn’t hear a bell. In fact, the cows were hidden very high, behind a grove, probably to enjoy the shadow. They were suddenly out, restless.

What did you do?

When we come face to face with cowsyou must in principle remain calm. stand in front of them, make noise and not run in order to avoid exciting them. This is exactly what I did. But they loaded my dog, who fled, then turned against me, overthrowing and trampling on me. I saw death.

You say that the place is dangerous. What do you recommend?

With hindsight, I tell myself that I should have flee and sprinter to escape. However, I believe that this corner is particularly dangerous. It would be necessary to plan a bis route at this location or put electric fences near the path.

We feel very stirred to you.

Yes, because I also go hiking with my retired in-laws. If they had accompanied me. they would probably be dead at the time it is, given the power of the jura: testimony injured man after load of the cows. Children, too. I want this accident to push the authorities and breeders to find solutions to improve cohabitation with hikers.