Sunday, August 10, 2025

How Now Brown Cow

I have become enamored with Swiss cows. Especially of the mountain variety. Here's a couple of them I encountered while out on a run one day. 

There are plenty of hiking trails that cross pastures where cows are grazing. Sometimes you even have to go around them as they are blocking the trails. (They don't know this of course.) There's an entire tourist industry in Switzerland based around cow culture. Cows are cute looking but can be aggressive, so be careful when approaching one. They might not look very aerodynamic, but they can run fast. But since they are everywhere, they're hard to avoid. Remember when approaching a cow that you're in their habitat, not yours. Keep a respectful distance if you can. When you can't, it's still probably safe to approach one, if only to get around them. Speaking Swiss German to them can help. 

Fun fact: In May of this year, a herd of 52 cows had to be evacuated from a village in southern Switzerland amid fears of a landslide. They had to be moo-ved by helicopter!