Farmer injured in repeated attacks by cow in New Zealand

A farmer injured after he was repeatedly attacked by one of his cows has been discharged from hospital.

The Tauranga-based Trustpower TECT Rescue helicopter was called to Opotiki about midday on Saturday where a 50-year-old local farmer had been injured.

A rescue helicopter spokesman said the farmer and his wife were working in the yards on their property with a herd of cows when one attacked the man three times.

The man suffered serious chest injuries, he said.

St John ambulance staff transported the man from his Otara Rd property and drove him to the Opotiki airfield, before he was airlifted to Whakatane Hospital.

An Otara Rd resident, who did not want to be named, said she heard sirens and "an ambulance screaming down the road".

"There was so much noise, the helicopter, the ambulance, we didn't know what was going on," she said.

"It wasn't until later that we found out what happened, that a man was attacked by a cow. How bizarre. It's not something you hear of every day is it?"

A Whakatane Hospital spokeswoman said the man was discharged yesterday morning and was recovering at home.

Federated Farmers Rotorua-Taupo president Alan Wills said he had heard of similar attacks, but they were rare.

"No it's not common or normal, but we do hear of these things from time to time.

"Generally when an animal attacks like this, the animal is in a confined area, like a shed, yard or pen. They attack when they feel cornered or threatened, when they just want out."

Mr Wills said he had heard of an incident where a man was mauled by a bull on the back of the truck, leaving him with a broken ankle.

Mr Wills said in general it was important people were careful when working with animals in confined spaces.

The incident is an example of one of the thousands of injuries caused on farms each year. The national total of ACC claims for farming injuries sits at 31,233.

In the Rotorua district, more than 2000 farming injuries were reported from 2011 to 2013 - costing the ACC almost $2 million in payouts.