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🇬🇷 Greece /Disasters & Emergencies

The growing danger of ‘stray’ cows in Mani

From Kathimerini · () Greek

Translated from Greek and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Under investigation
  • Free-roaming cattle in Inner Mani have caused crop damage and road accidents, including collisions that damaged vehicles.
  • Residents say many animals appear undernourished, while reports indicate that livestock owners leave them to graze unsupervised.
  • The problem has persisted for years, and the municipality has previously described it as a longstanding cause of traffic accidents.

In Inner Mani, “stray” cows have turned dark roads into a serious hazard for drivers. The animals roam unchecked through roads and fields, damaging crops and creating the risk of sudden collisions.

Fortunately, I wasn’t driving fast, otherwise we would have hit it and been seriously injured.

· Local business ownerHe described a collision with a cow while driving at night with his child in the car.

One local business owner recently encountered a large cow blocking the road while driving home at about 10 p.m. with his child in the back seat. He managed to stop, but the animal panicked in the headlights, ran into the vehicle and nearly destroyed its front end. “Fortunately, I wasn’t driving fast, otherwise we would have hit it and been seriously injured,” he told Kathimerini. It was not known whether the cow survived.

A doctor from the area reported a similar crash on the Areopoli-Gerolimenas road on Aug. 18. “One of the many cattle illegally left to roam freely suddenly appeared in front of us,” he wrote on Facebook. The collision caused no physical injuries but destroyed the car’s right front side, he said. He described the roads as “night races to the death for daring drivers,” with cattle weighing hundreds of kilograms threatening residents and visitors.

One of the many cattle illegally left to roam freely suddenly appeared in front of us.

· Local doctor identified by the initials M.P.He described a separate collision on the Areopoli-Gerolimenas road.

Residents also report damage to farmland. They say the animals often look underfed or skeletal, and sometimes search through rubbish and chew plastic. People familiar with local livestock practices say the cattle belong to area farmers, with some possibly receiving subsidies, but are left to graze unattended to reduce feed and maintenance costs.

Night races to the death for daring drivers.

· Local doctor identified by the initials M.P.He used the phrase to describe the danger posed by unsupervised cattle on dark roads.

Free grazing has long been practiced in Mani, but residents believe the number of unsupervised animals has risen substantially. The municipality of East Mani called the issue longstanding in a 2011 document and linked unattended cattle to several traffic accidents. The matter has also reached Parliament.

We often see them looking for food in the rubbish.

· Residents and workers in the areaThey described the animals’ condition and behavior.
About this summary

Originally published by Kathimerini in Greek. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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