A Colorado woman was hospitalized this week after around 30 cows suddenly surrounded and trampled her while she was out on a jog, Denver’s 9News reported.
Vivian Kuenn told the station she was riding her bike down a hill in Boulder County when she noticed a woman jogging the opposite way. Then, a herd of cows appeared and began attacking the runner.
“She screamed and was just down on the ground while they were just trampling her,” Kuenn said. “In a very short span of time she stopped moving.”
A sign near the trailhead entrance portended the attack. “Give Cows Space,” it reads. “They Can Be Aggressive.”
Mike Forster, the agricultural resources division manager for the county told 9News that cow attacks are more common during calving season.
“Just like a momma bear, elk, or moose, a momma cow is going to be very protective of its young,” Forster said. “And when they perceive a threat they are going to react to that threat.”
Forster suggested moving slowly near cows or avoiding them altogether because they can perceive fast movements as a threat.
Boulder County Parks and Open Space said it has since moved the cows, whose grazing can help reduce the risk of wildfires, to a different location that isn’t connected to any trails.
The injured woman’s condition wasn’t clear, but she’s expected to make a full recovery.