r/MadeMeSmile • u/MysteriousSlice007 • May 04 '26

ANIMALS Calf Getting Petted by Man Then Mom Comes to Check up on It

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882

u/Jat616 May 04 '26

Yea people need to remember to be real careful around baby wild animals, even if they're livestock. Parents can get incredibly protective.

402

u/sasakimirai May 04 '26

Especially when mom has such big horns. I would NOT be putting my head that low with her so close. She could gouge an eye out even without intending to

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u/eekamuse May 04 '26

I would be on the other side of the fence as soon as I heard the mooOOOO.

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u/Ih8teMyInlawsTheySuk May 04 '26

Right? Knowing the mom was coming would scare the ever living shit out of me. I’m not even sure I’d be able to move.

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u/4rm4tur4 May 05 '26

The mother knows this dude, thats why he wasn't scared.

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u/[deleted] May 05 '26

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u/4rm4tur4 May 05 '26

Yeah I head this breed got some attitude. Really wanna see one irl!

1

u/UniqueLog8386 May 05 '26

You wouldn't be at all tempted to pet the mom from a safe distance?

42

u/Unhappy-Rub-9892 May 04 '26

I didn't know that the females have horns...

18

u/The_Great_DM May 05 '26

Scottish Highland Cattle. Adult females are around 1000 lbs (450 kg) Males get up over 1400 lbs (650 kg). They are nice to pet though. Just watch out when they swing those horns around.

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u/[deleted] May 05 '26

Yet another reason not to tick off the Scots.

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u/xrelaht May 05 '26

Varies by breed.

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u/ekso69 May 05 '26

Horny males AND females in your area

12

u/Dixon3115 May 05 '26

Onlyfans is evolving

23

u/maniacalmustacheride May 05 '26

She’s not scared, she’s just chatting. She is looking around because the guy isn’t big like her and she’s looking for a threat. But the calf isn’t unhappy, and she’s not unhappy. There’s a little posture checking, she walked up “fast” and he didn’t move so she’s okay.

Still should be careful with a baby! But if she had wanted the calf back she would have called it back and then gave attitude.

Cows usually will warn you if they’re civilly trying to tell you to back off. But there are some cows that like to be a dick just to be a dick, but you probably shouldn’t be in the fence if you’re not sure who that cow is. Much like a toddler, the sneaky assholes will get really quiet and sort of position themselves slowly to catch you off guard, like an old lady elbowing you at the store.

Again, if you do not personally know the cows and are not with someone giving you in depth commentary about the cows that knows the cows personally, don’t be in the fence. Cows aren’t people but they are social creatures with a ton of personalities and gossipy as hell.

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u/sasakimirai May 05 '26

Yeah I'm aware she's not upset or anything. That's why I said that she could gouge an eye out EVEN WITHOUT INTENDING TO.

It could just be the angle making it look closer than it is, but the part where she was looking around, her horns came uncomfortably close to his face, and all I could think was that one wrong move and he could really get hurt. But then again, I've always been super paranoid about these things anyways.

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u/raeltireso96 May 05 '26

There's a lady I follow on Instagram who raises cows and says the same things. Her cows know her, but no one else is allowed near them. I've learned a lot about cows from her that I didn't know before

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u/DazzlingRutabega May 04 '26

As a reference please see the bear scene in the movie Revenant.

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u/Callidonaut May 04 '26

I have a better idea: don't see the bear scene in the movie Revenant!

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u/RugbyGuy May 04 '26

Yep, fuck that scene! It was very uncomfortable to watch.

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u/Aggravating-Sweet198 May 05 '26

Could you Link it

3

u/Smiling_Tree May 05 '26

Could you Google it 

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u/ToolTimeT May 04 '26

There is no such thing as a wild animal that is livestock... its literally the definition of livestock.. a domesticated animal.

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u/radiant_kiwi208 May 04 '26

Parents still can be extremely protective. Livestock or not, you need to be careful!

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u/ToolTimeT May 04 '26

Grew up on a dairy farm... its really not the case with domestic animals, they are used to humans interacting with both their babies and themselves when they were babies. Its honestly entirely different than dealing with a wild animal.

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u/radiant_kiwi208 May 04 '26

Different but not truly safe. I agree that it's not the same as a wild animal but there are many, many dead farmers that have thought of it as completely safe, unfortunately

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u/ManitouWakinyan May 04 '26

Many, many is a pretty gross overstatement. Yes, a farmer will occasionally get kicked in the face by their horse or whatever. But the number of farmers who are violently killed by their own livestock? I mean, you're talking maybe tens a year max out of hundreds of thousands of farmers.

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u/32andFlatulent May 05 '26

I agree farming is especially dangerous due to the use of lots of different kinds of heavy equipment and potentially toxic materials.

Most farmers are aware of this and are reasonably careful but there are those that get complacent through years of usage and make mistakes.

A neighbouring farmer worked on his family farm all of his life, went out on a quad bike to check on a pregnant cow at about 4 in the morning. He didn't notice a dip in the field, flipped over and broke his neck. I grew up seeing him drive around on the quad it was surreal to learn that was how he died.

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u/ToolTimeT May 04 '26

Cattle ranching and working with bulls is a different animal... farms like this with highland cows which are notoriously gentle and docile.. there is virtually nothing to fear or be concerned about.

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u/domsolanke May 04 '26

Lmao, exactly. It’s easy to spot the people who grew up with these animals in the countryside from the comments, and the ones who didn’t. Highland cows are just about the most chill species of cattle in existence.

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u/Ultenth May 05 '26

Reddit is always hilarious to me, there are so many people here that probably have never interacted with animals or barely left their basement, and they all have these terrible pre-conceptions about how dangerous everything and everyone is at all times. Just constant fear-mongering about animals, or the opposite extreme. But very rarely any reasonable accurate perceptions of what interacting with any of the animals in these various posts is actually like.

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u/[deleted] May 04 '26

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u/ManitouWakinyan May 04 '26

Not quite - and even if it were, it's a quarter of a very small pie. (Also, the bulls are more dangerous than cows)

Between 2020 and 2024, there were only 72 farm fatalities in Ireland. 13 of those were livestock related. Cow-calf related deaths comprise 8% of those livestock related deaths, meaning 1 in 13, or 1-2% of all farm deaths in a five year window.

So, just to break it down, because I'm late and this is better than sleeping:

  • 72 farm related deaths in Ireland 2020-2024
    • 39% (28) vehicle-related
    • 18% (13) livestock-related
      • 46% (6) bull attacks
      • 15% (2) horse attacks
      • 8% (1) cow attacks
      • 8% (1) cow with calf attacks
      • 8% (1) knocked by cow
      • 8% (1) knocked by bull
      • 8% (1) other
    • 18% (13) fall-related
    • 10% (7) fallen materials related
    • 7% (5) machinery-related
    • 5% (4) drowning-related
    • 3% (2) other

So 1 person in five years in Ireland was killed by a cow with a calf, best as I can tell.

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u/[deleted] May 04 '26

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u/ToolTimeT May 04 '26

you would walk across a field with bulls no problem? but never across a field with a cow and calf? Sorry, but thats absurd.

From your link:

"Fatal accidents involving livestock account for 21% of all farm fatalities over the last 10 years – up from 14% in the previous 10 years. In the most recent period to 2024, 36% of these fatalities were associated with cattle, 31% with bulls and 25% with cows with calves."

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u/[deleted] May 04 '26

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u/ToolTimeT May 05 '26

well I certainly can't discount your personal experiences, thats valid, but I have never seen a cow take off after someone just walking through a field and not trying to get close to her or her newborn.. and I mean like ever. I've seen a bull get agitated from 200 yards and rush someone just in their general vicinity because they are highly territorial and aggressive. I would never turn my back on a bull, but I did it all the time with cows, even ones with a calf. I've never seen a fresh cow on a dairy section of the farm get violent protecting her calf with any of the farmhands she knew either. Maybe a few times involving a stranger especially if a dog was present I have. But someone she knows? very very rare in my experience.

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u/ManitouWakinyan May 04 '26

Yes - that's pretty consistent with what's above. Those cow-with-calf attacks are still very rare. They're a decent percent of a very small number. You're looking at around 8 deaths in that entire 10 year period.

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u/RodCherokee May 04 '26

Thanks, very interesting

1

u/Fjell-Jeger May 04 '26

This is true for dairy cows, but this type of beef cattle (possibly Galloways or Highlanders) are often kept on pasture year-round, so they aren't used to much human interaction and might absolutely charge you, especially when you get near their calves. And the tiny electric fence isn't much of a barrier if they truly feel threatened by your presence.

1

u/ToolTimeT May 04 '26

Highland cows are some of the most docile cows there are.. they are also used for milk especially on small farms. They seek attention and human companionship. This clearly isn't a large cattle farm.

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u/Fjell-Jeger May 04 '26

Highland cows are generally friendly if they have daily interaction (milking, feeding) with their farmers.

If they are kept on a pasture year-round without much human interaction, they will be less friendly, especially with a herd with multiple calves and when some stranger walks onto their meadow.

Personally, I wouldn't take any chances.

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u/ToolTimeT May 06 '26

Here is a video you might find interesting..

https://www.reddit.com/r/BeAmazed/comments/1t5cy53/ups_driver_to_the_rescue/

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u/Fjell-Jeger May 07 '26

Thx for the video.

That's absolutely how you get squished between a fence and an upset cow, turning your back to them while handling their calves.

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u/ToolTimeT May 07 '26

And yet, they showed no tension, no anger, no threat as he manhandled the calf right in front of them.

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u/kakihara123 May 04 '26

Funny, they should not trust you, since you are predators. So attacking you should be the right action.

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u/Callidonaut May 04 '26 edited May 04 '26

We're not predators (well, certainly not apex, at least), we're just scavengers who lucked out and discovered how to make pointy sticks and shooty tubes. The cow probably doesn't care for such minutiae, however.

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u/kakihara123 May 04 '26

We are very much the apex predator of the planet. They should all be terrified of us, especially "livestock".

We don't deserve any of their trust.

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u/[deleted] May 04 '26

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u/littlethreeskulls May 04 '26

I'm pretty sure reindeer are actually domesticated caribou

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u/[deleted] May 04 '26

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u/ToolTimeT May 04 '26

Check out "Reindeer Family and Me" BBC production I think.

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u/zxc123zxc123 May 04 '26

Kind of rude you'd call that cap wearing manchild livestock. If I had to guess his mom/gfmom/wifemom isn't overly protective either.

Sure he's probably a corporate labor stock, domesticated consumer, and a living tax payer, but you can never predict how a wild human (however much domesticated) might act.

Always beware and never let your guard down around them.

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u/feel_my_balls_2040 May 05 '26

Domesticated doesn't mean pet. My grandparents had a cow that would attack you for no reason, I remember one of their neighbor had a ram that would headbutt everything that moves, geese are dicks and so on.

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u/ToolTimeT May 05 '26

Yes livestock and pets are different things.. thats why they have different names and definitions.

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u/Dismal_Flight_686 May 05 '26 edited May 05 '26

I don’t think you’ve ever tried crossing a field with a bull in it😂😂

Personally have experience jumping into a ditch to not die

Scratched to bits by briars ✅ still alive ✅

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u/NoPantsPenny May 04 '26

I’m assuming one of them is the farmer and knows how the cows will react. For example I grew up on a. Farm and we not ever had 4-6 cows. They could al be hand fed and weren’t spooked by us at all. I have other family with hundreds or thousands of cows and they will run off and get spooked just by you walking in their general vicinity. Then you have 4-h cows that are handled frequently and are completely unbothered by human interaction.

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u/domsolanke May 04 '26

This exact species of cattle are extremely docile though. I grew up in the countryside and we had these all throughout my childhood. Plus they’re used to people.

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u/NilocKhan May 05 '26

All domestic cattle are the same species, although there were at least three separate domestication events of aurochs. You meant to say breed instead of species

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u/OlYeller01 May 05 '26

We had cows on our farm for years. One day, a calf got his head stuck in a panel style fence. I ended up having to cut him out with wire cutters from outside the fence while he bellowed and struggled. Enraged momma cow just rammed the fence next timo me over and over.

My mom started to warn me, “Hey, if that fence starts to go…”

I cut her off: “Mom, if this fence starts to go worry about yourself because I’ll be two pastures over before you can blink.”

Finally with a SNAP I cut the last panel wire. The calf pulled free and he and momma both raced away, turning back after 25 yards or so to glare at us and snort. Some gratitude.

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u/MuffPiece May 04 '26

For sure. There was a fence between us so all ok.

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u/RememberThatDream May 04 '26

Cows kill 4 times more humans just in the USA than sharks do globally (20-22 vs 5) per year on average

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u/treborly May 04 '26

Rightly so.

That baby gonna be someone's dinner shortly