Local News

There’s a cow missing in Boston, somehow

Boston Animal Control asks that you not try to subdue the animal.

Not the missing cow. Dudarev Mikhail / Shutterstock

updated on July 2, 2024

1 minute to read

There’s a cow loose in Boston. Or more specifically, a bull, according to Boston Animal Control.

Animal Control initially reported on social media Sunday that a brown and white cow had been spotted in the city’s Roslindale neighborhood, at the intersection of Stella Road and Harding Road.

“The cow was able to evade capture and disappeared into a nearby wooded area,” Animal Control reported. Police “canvassed the area” but were unable to locate the elusive bovine, according to the post.

In an update to their post on Tuesday, Animal Control reported that the cow in question is a male (bull), and that it had “escaped from a resident who was unaware that farm animals, with the exception of permitted chickens, are not allowed within the City of Boston.”

“Despite multiple searches over the last several days, which included using a thermal drone, we have not been able to locate the cow,” they wrote on Tuesday.

Though cows tend to be thought of as lumbering creatures, in actuality they can run as fast as 25 mph, according to the The Dairy Alliance. And bulls tend to be much more aggressive than female cattle.

Boston Animal Control asks that anyone who spots the bull refrain from chasing or trying to capture it. (And, presumably, do not try to tip it. There’s no way that would end well.)

Instead, Animal Control asks that anyone who spots the creature to report it to their office at 617-635-5348, or via the city’s 311 hotline.