No compensation payment for fatal cow attack in Tyrol

After a fatal cow attack, the Innsbruck Higher Regional Court makes a verdict. The decision affects both hikers and farmers.

Erl – Keeping cows on pasture is species-appropriate and helps preserve biodiversity. Open pasture areas are particularly common in mountain regions – through which hiking trails also lead. Despite the normally harmless nature of the animals, an encounter with hikers can also be dangerous.

This is how a hiker lost in 2017 Austria her life due to a cow attack. The Innsbruck Higher Regional Court has now made a judgment on this unfortunate incident.

Almwirt does not have to pay compensation after fatal cow attack

In 2017, a local woman was hiking through an open alpine area on the Kranzhorn Alm in Tyroler Erl, Kufstein district. The 70-year-old had her dog with her and approached the animals for a photo. The cows then became aggressive. As the woman tried to escape, she stumbled and was run over by the animals. The survivors demanded compensation, which the Higher Regional Court (OLG) Innsbruck also granted in the first instance: 80,000 euros plus interest, payable to the husband, daughter and granddaughter of the deceased.

However, the alpine farmer appealed and was now proven right. Because: Pasture and alpine pastures do not necessarily have to be fenced. The only exception would be if there had been incidents involving the animals in the past. However, this was not the case, according to the OLG. It added that there was also an alternative route secured by a fence.

Decision on cow attack isolated case or guide for alpine farming?

The President of the Tyrolean Chamber of Agriculture, Josef Hechenberger, welcomed the court's decision “despite the tragic circumstances”. He described it as groundbreaking for alpine farming. The spokesman for the OLG explained: “This is an individual case decision. It always depends on the circumstances. The verdict is not a kind of clean bill of health for either farmers or hikers.”

There are repeated reports of hikers being injured by grazing animals. There was already a similar incident in Tyrol's Pinnistal in 2014. A 45-year-old German from Bad Dürkheim and her dog were attacked and killed by cows. In this case, the court ruled differently and placed partial blame on both the victim and the farmer. It was discovered that the farmer knew that his mother cows were sensitive and aggressive towards dogs.

This is how you behave on a path through pastureland

Hikers walking through open pastures should observe a few behaviors to avoid accidents. For example, there are recommendations at: berchtesgarden.de and South Tyrol News.

• Avoid direct contact with the animals, keep your distance and do not take selfies with the animals.
• Herds with calves are more restless because cows protect their calves.
• Walk slowly through the pasture and do not make any hectic movements.
• Don't make noise.
• Do not separate individual animals from the herd.
• Leash dogs.
• Pay attention to warning signals from cows and do not turn your back on them.
• Cows have a strong side vision, so if you don't approach from the front, you'll have to pass.

The editor wrote this article and then used an AI language model for optimization at her own discretion. All information has been carefully checked. Find out more about our AI principles here. (jh/dpa)