Cow and calf slaughtered after attacking two people at Auckland park

Monday, 6 August 2018

A man was taken to hospital with moderate injuries after a cow attacked two people in Totara Park, Auckland on Sunday.

A cow and her calf have been culled after attacking two people.

On Sunday afternoon, a woman and a man were attacked and trampled by cows at Auckland's Totara Park. The man was later taken to Middlemore Hospital with moderate injuries.

The park, in Manurewa in south Auckland, is open to the public for mountain biking, horse rides and walks. It also has open farmland.

Farm manager Peter Linton said on Monday that culling the Friesian-Hereford-cross cow and her calf was an emotional experience.

A Friesian-Hereford cross cow and her calf have been killed after the cow attacked two people yesterday (FILE).

* Northland man attacked and crushed by cow**

The calf was a steer that was 8 or 9 months old, he said.

'It was a drastic thing to do but it was a drastic thing to have happen,' Linton said.

The situation was 'very serious' and everything was done 'appropriately' by experts, he said.

'It's for the public's peace of mind.'

Totara Park is in the Auckland suburb of Manurewa and has open farmland.

Cattle did not normally do these types of things and although he was unsure of exactly what happened, Linton thought the cow 'must have been provoked in some way'.

St John spokeswoman Chrissy Hamilton said a male patient was taken to Middlemore Hospital with moderate injuries.

Ambulance heard about the incident at 3.47pm and one ambulance was sent to Totara Park, Hamilton said.

A Counties Manukau District Health Board spokeswoman said on Monday afternoon the man was in a stable condition.

Auckland Council's head of parks services Mark Bowater said staff visited Totara Park on Monday and provided assistance to the site's lessee, who manages the stock.

'We worked with them to identify an individual cow being overly protective of her calf,' Bowater said.

'During calving season, cows are typically very protective of their calves and do not like people to get near them.'

Auckland Council recommended people be 'extra careful during calving season', he said.

'It is a cow's natural instinct to protect their calves.

'Over this time people should keep their distance from cows, and ensure they never come between them and their calves.'

Animal rights group SAFE and the SPCA have been contacted for comment.