August 3, 2009
killed by cows
The Center for Disease Control reports that about 20 people are killed by cows each year.
In some cases, the cows actually attack humans—ramming them, knocking them down, goring them, trampling them and kicking them in the head.
In 16 cases, “the animal was deemed to have purposefully struck the victim.”
Ten of the attacks were by bulls, 6 by cows and 5 by “multiple cattle.”
All but one of the victims died from head or chest injuries; the last died after a cow knocked him down and a syringe in his pocket injected him with an antibiotic meant for the cow.
Older men with arthritis and hearing aids have the highest risk of being injured by livestock, the report says, probably because they don’t hear the animals charging and can’t move fast enough to get out of the way.
(via marginal revolution)
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You know, when I see clips of the running of the bulls in Spain–I’m secretly pleased to see the bulls peg the assholes taunting them.
And this post reminds me of the significant number of American deer hunters who are killed each year by animals that are shot but not quite dead. I wonder how many of these hunters have, as a last thought: “Oh christ, now all the guys at the bar are going to remember me as that fucker what got killed by a deer.
at least the guy who gets killed by a deer is offed by a wild animal. can you imagine trying to tell someone with a straight face that grandma was a case of death by bovine means?
Regarding the old men, ranching is an old man’s job. The average age of a beef farmer is climbing. I wonder what would happen if you adjusted the statistics relative to the age distribution of the people involved in the industry.