16-cows-stampede-down-illinois-highway-after-cattle-hauler-trailer-rips-open-crash-video

16 Cows Stampede Down Illinois Highway After Cattle Hauler Trailer Rips Open in Crash: VIDEO

More than a dozen cattle drifted into an Illinois highway Tuesday after their hauler trailer spilled open in a traffic accident. The driver of the hauler sustained injuries, and traffic stalled for hours because of the wreck and ensuing round-up, according to Fox News.

The multi-car accident took place between the hauler, a disabled semi, and a Honda coupe on Interstate 80. Witnesses said about 16 cows took to the streets after the accident to sniff around and assess the situation. The hauler held more than 30 cattle before ripping apart in the crash, so only about half of the load escaped into the Illinois highway.

State police said that the driver of the hauler went to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. Officials also had to euthanize two of the cattle due to their own injuries.

Nearby farmers and neighbors came to save the day by helping round up the herd and transport them safely back to a nearby storage facility.

The driver of the hauler was charged with driving under the influence of drugs and issued multiple traffic citations for his part in the accident.

Far west of the Illinois highway, Colorado cattle face an entirely different kind of threat

Throughout the winter and spring months, reports of wolf attacks in Colorado made ranchers nervous. But they devised a creative solution. As late as March, ranchers at the State Line Ranch outside of Walden had to put down an 8-year-old pregnant cow after finding her covered in blood and unable to walk.

Colorado cowboy, Ben Zak, takes care of the 700 head of cattle at State Line. One morning he found a poor cow covered in blood, near death from injuries. The vet’s analysis and some nearby tracks confirmed his suspicions: wolves had attacked her overnight.

“Horrible. She was in bad shape,” Zak told The Colorado Sun, after driving through two feet of snow to reach her. “It really tore her up on the back end.”

Colorado Parks and Wildlife, which had been working for months to develop a plan for gray wolf introduction, confirmed the wolf predation. The department also confirmed at the time that it planned to reimburse the ranch for the loss.

In addition to the funds, the state agency also delivered six burros to introduce into the heard and serve as protectors. They needed to acclimate to the cold temperatures first, but eventually officials hope that the burros (similar in stature to mules) will chase, stomp, and kick predators that try to attack the cattle in the future.

“The idea is to make the burros become a part of the cattle herd to where they will then start to protect or consider the cattle as a member of its family,” wildlife officer Zach Weaver said.