A hiker encountered two cows charging on East Bay trails and took shelter behind trees until the animals lost interest and left. Signs at trail gates warn visitors to keep distance from cattle, especially mothers with calves, due to occasional charging. The East Bay Regional Park District has grazed parkland for over 60 years, using cattle, sheep, or goats on more than 86,800 acres annually. Grazing reduces grass height, supports native plants and wildlife, and helps mitigate wildfire fuel buildup. While grazing animals are generally docile, they can be territorial and protective during calving season; observers should admire them from a safe distance.
We'd usually give the herds a wide berth and think nothing of it. Signs on the gates around the hills reminded us to keep our distance from the cows, especially ones with young calves, as they've been known to charge, but we didn't give the warnings much thought, either. Who really gets chased by a cow anyway? Turns out, us.
We booked it toward a ditch where two small trees gave promise of some type of cover. The cows chased us until we were in a standoff; us, crouched behind the trees, and the huffing cows, glaring at us through big, brown eyes. We stayed like this for what must have been 30 to 45 seconds but felt like hours, until the cows decided we weren't a threat and slowly trotted off toward the neighboring hillside.
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