This was once the town’s golf course – a new one has been developed in more lush surroundings on the other side of the valley. On this very hot day it hosted part of the Urban Herd we call the Forest Cows. There is no forest here, but this particular herd seem to prefer the bushy hillside as well as grazing on this now open land.
There were about fifty of these animals, accompanied by a busy flock of cattle egrets. All looked peaceful. The scant shade was taken up by as many cows that could fit under the stunted trees. The rest basked in the hot sun.
The different shapes of the horns and the patterns on their hides are interesting.
We call the cow in the foreground The Master Hooter – mainly because we have often seen her apparently calling the herd together by bellowing loudly until they follow her. Meet the V Bull, so named because when he was much younger he sported a crudely scratched V on his flank. This has now stretched to be almost unrecognisable for he is now very large and bulky!
Something Over Tea 
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Do they roam free the way the animals do in New Forest, England?
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Several herds of cattle roam free in our town – donkeys too!
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My gosh! I live in a very rural state, but somehow I just can’t picture donkeys and cattle roaming free. And yet it happens in other places, it seems.
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This is not supposed to happen, but governments and municipalities change with time … we have had to get used to this and to accept their presence.
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They look content. Do you know we had a free ranging Ankole Watusi bull with his huge horns free ranging with the cattle here? I was out and about and took his photos. I had no idea what he was. He was more impressive then a Texas Longhorn. It was genius to protect the holler herd from the marauding coyote packs with a formidable African free range bull.
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Those cattle have THE most impressive horns I have ever seen!
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Wonderful to see that even a golf course can slowly return to an ever more natural state as time goes by.
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Apart from the grazing cattle, it has proved to be a boon for dog walkers, drone flyers, bagpipers, and for people who simply want to be out in the fresh air with plenty of space for social distancing.
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I think after 2020 we have a few more people who appreciate wide open spaces!
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They look very restful 🙂
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It was a beautiful scene to happen upon. Thank you for ‘calling in’.
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My husband and I used to enjoy walks around that golf course as students 40 plus years ago.
How lovely that it has become an entirely different space since then, appealing to these marvellously “painted” free roaming cattle, the dog walkers and others you mention.
Another lovely post!
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Thank you very much, Desirée. Wild flowers will appear once we get some soaking rain and already the wild grasses cover what were once finely rolled greens!
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Lovely shots. I particularly like the sun-dappled hides.
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Some of the cattle have clearly been crossed with Nguni and sport the most amazing patterns that make individuals easy to recognise.
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🙂
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What a placid scene – I’d be tempted to string a hammock and join them for a snooze. 🙂
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You conjure up a delightful image in my mind!
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Good use of a golf course. (I say that as an ex golfer)
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Well, we are hoping it will remain an open, multi-use space. A constant murmur in the background as that it may be earmarked for a housing project. Where the water would come from remains a mystery.
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I hope that the projected housing goes somewhere else.
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They look like a handsome and contented bunch. Unusual not to see cows in a farmer’s field though.
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There was a time when your description would have been the norm. Alas, no more.
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It’s been years since I’ve seen cattle so I enjoyed seeing yours, but I wouldn’t want to tangle with the Master Hooter or the V-Bull!
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While none of these cattle allow one to approach them close enough to touch them, they are not aggressive and tend to move away.
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They are used to people then!
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