Police Shoot Wild Cow Roaming The Whanganui Streets

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A Whanganui resident, Christopher Piper, was just about to sit down to breakfast this morning when he heard four shots being fired right outside his house.

Fearing the worst, Mr Piper cautiously peered outside to see police and animal control firing at an out-of-control cow on his front lawn.

The cow had been rampaging through Gonville since about 8am, charging pedestrians, cars, and even the police.

Constable Luke Cranstone from Whanganui Police said the cow, which appeared to be in calf, started running down Puriri St, charging at anything in its path.

"We got down to Kauri St, and we tried to contain it in an empty section until animal control arrived, but it wasn't interested in that.

"It tried charging me a couple of times and I had to hit it with my baton. It nearly knocked me off my feet."

Mr Cranstone said the cow even "had a go" at a man in a wheelchair who was crossing the road on a pedestrian crossing.

Fearing the cow was heading towards Carlton Ave during peak traffic, police and animal control shot it on Alma Rd. No-one was injured during the cow's rampage.

"We haven't yet established who it belonged to or where it came from," Mr Cranstone said.

Mr Piper said the first he knew of the incident was hearing shots fired.

"I was quite surprised to see a cow being shot out here. It was a relief to see it was the police firing the shots and not some gun-wielding idiot."

NZ Herald