Udder Madness in Queens

There's nothing like seeing the Gothamist Newsmap and last night seeing an alert for "Cow on the loose" in the Queens. While 1010WINS's lede is very concise - "A cow on the loose in Queens is now in police custody." - the Daily News has amazing coverage of the situation.

Dimitrti Mitropoulos told the News he saw the cow near the Queens Hospital Center's parking lot (he suspects the cow was grazing), so he called 911. "[The operator] asked me what color the cow was and I said, 'Are you joking? It's a cow in New York City.'" So then the police tracked "Mitropoulous with a Global Positioning System device as he followed the cow." Forget Big Brother, it's like Big Old McDonald!

"We must have gone about 2 miles," Mitropoulous said, "and it was running at a good pace for a while. I had to do 20 [mph] to keep up with it. I was driving right alongside. If I had a rope I would have grabbed him."

The chase ended when the cow turned into a yard next to a three-story building at 85-22 144thSt., where it was trapped by more than a dozen radio cars and Fire Department vehicles.

Scores of rubberneckers mounted light poles, and climbed on trucks and garden walls to watch as the pursuers closed in with lassos.

But the cow was not cowed. Queenie bucked, kicked and mooed loudly as she was wrestled toward a waiting NYPD horse trailer.

The tug-of-war clearly tickled a number of onlookers, who began chanting "Attica, Attica" - a reference to the violent suppression of a riot at the upstate prison - while others laughed.

According to WNBC, the police actually lost control of the cow for a moment, which gave the cow a chance to run two houses away, but then the police were finally able to corral him. Police don't know where the cow came from, especially since the cow was not talking, but one resident said that she noticed a brand on it.

It's unclear where the cow will go, but the Farm Sanctuary in Watkins Glen, where other farm animals who have been found running loose in the city have headed. Our suggestion, though, is the Queens County Farm Museum, the city's only working farm!

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Chung in Arts and Events on September 19, 2007 11:10 AM

Comments [rss]

guest

hi. yeah. this was in my neighbors back yard and i saw it first hand, i stared at that cow for an hour and 15 minutes, she did not moo loudly nor did she buck. it took two precincts to get her . they chased her all the way from union turnpike to smedley. she wasnt an angry cow, she was very silent and wasnt pacing at all.

its not an urban legend, if an animal has escaped from a slaughter house/ captivity, it is considered to be a smart and conscious animal, therefore not allowing it to be slaughtered.they ship them to certain farms which focus on rescuing runaway creatures.

guest

It wasn't a cow, it was a mule! A drug mule! She was bringing a re-up to the "Lactose Latin Kings" and got lost!

Pour a little unpasteurized out for a fallen homie.

guest

This same thing happened in an eveybody loves ramond episode.

guest

If the cow is in police custody, I give her a day before she escapes.

Reality Czech

That ain't the only cow in Queens, trust me.

guest

This is just moovilous news.

Dave Hogarty

"Moove along people. Nothing to see here."

smitty

Female cattle are cows, male cattle are bulls.

guest

Yeah, everybody knows it was Al Pacino who yelled "Attica, Attica" in Dog Day Afternoon. Everybody except, apparently, Columbia grads trying to pass themselves off as real writers.

guest

Jen Chung wrote: It's unclear where the cow will go, but the Farm Sanctuary in Watkins Glen, where other farm animals who been found running loose in the city have headed.

Oh, real nice, Jen. If you can't have editors over at Gothamist, at least try to check your own work!

Elderta

Mostly when I've heard stories like this, if the animal manages to break free from the slaughter house, he gets a free ride to the nearest farm sanctuary where they are suppose to live their lives out. I don't know if this is a written rule or an urban legend, though.

bklynd

"tracked "Mitropoulous with a Global Positioning System device as he followed the cow."

How did they do that, I wonder. Can they track your cell phone in real time?

Anyway, glad they didn't euthanize the cow.

Opinion Jones

What business does Rosie O'Donnell have in Queens?

guest

Um, if it's a cow, it's not a HIM. Heh. City slickers.

CR

"The tug-of-war clearly tickled a number of onlookers, who began chanting "Attica, Attica" - a reference to the violent suppression of a riot at the upstate prison - while others laughed."

I'm pretty sure that was in reference to the film "Dog Day Afternoon" - it's not like after Attica itself people went around yelling "Attica! Attica!"... or did they?