Runaway cow causes chaos after escaping from Pulborough nature reserve

Alarmed drivers only narrowly missed hitting the animal when it wandered onto main roads before ambling through village gardens - endangering one man’s prize roses.

It even managed to evade police who were called to the scene as it hot-hooved it away from the officers.

The drama started when antique garden business owner Sally Cleaver spotted the bovine beast outside her home in Coldwaltham at around 8.30pm on Thursday.

“I was just getting the kids’ dinner out of the oven and this massive cow just walked past the kitchen window,” said Sally.

“She was running round the garden and the yard.”

Sally thought they had managed to contain the cow in the garden “but it got through a fence into a neighbour’s garden - and he has prize roses.”

Villagers tried again to round up the animal but it again escaped onto the road.

“A neighbour came out in his dressing gown and pyjamas and we tried to wave cars down.”

Meanwhile, said Sally, the police chased after the cow as it made off towards the water works at Hardham.

“She was then missing for a couple of days. No-one saw her.

“I thought she might have gone into the water.”

But the cow was found by a local farmer and returned safely to her herd at Sussex Wildlife Trust’s nature reserve at Waltham Brooks.

“I was absolutely thrilled when I found out she was OK,” said Sally.

A Wildlife Trust spokesperson said: “On the morning of Friday May 6 we were informed by a local farmer that one of our Sussex brown cows, which undertake conservation grazing on our Nature Reserves, had been separated from the herd at Waltham Brooks.

“We conducted a search and in due course the animal was found by another local farmer safe and well.

“The animal has now been collected and is now back within the herd.

“We thoroughly inspect our fences on a regular basis where grazing animals are present, and in this case we have undertaken additional checks and maintenance accordingly.

“We would like to take this opportunity to remind members of the public to ensure dogs are on leads in and around grazing livestock, and to be sure all gates on footpaths are securely closed and to follow the Countryside Code.”

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