A Dutch cow in Lettele, in the province of Overijssel, escaped with her sister just before being loaded onto a cattle truck, which was on its way to the butcher. The sister was caught after being shot with a tranquillizer gun, but Hermien, as she is being called after her owner Herman Jansen, has managed to dodge all attempts to capture her.

Now, after a crowdfunding campaign by the Party for the Animals (PvdD), enough money has been raised to save Hermien from a trip to the slaughterhouse.

Clever Dutch cow

Hermien, whose real name is Joke 18, has been hiding in the woods for six weeks and only coming out at night when the coast is clear. At nightfall, she has been visiting another farm where she has been eating, along with other young cattle.

At one point, in an effort to catch Hermien, the farmer who owns her added a sedative to the cattle feed which she had been enjoying. However, Hermien was too smart for such a trick. She took a few bites and then left the rest.

She has also evaded hunters who decided that the risk that came with shooting her was too great. Other people may have been walking in the forest when the hunters were to shoot her, plus the hunters would have to kill her with one shot between the eyes, not an easy feat at all.

Stressed Dutch cow prescribed rest

Hermien’s owner has decided to put a stop to all the attempts to round up the high-spirited cow. Hermien is stressed and there is no point in trying to sedate her at this moment. Moreover, Hermien is not roaming around a public space, she is hiding out away from people, and therefore poses no immediate danger.

The clever Dutch cow will be given a few weeks of rest before another attempt is made to lure her out of the woods by allowing a group of cows to graze in a nearby pasture. Hopefully, her own kind will be enough to get her to come out of hiding and join the group.

Cow retirement home in the Netherlands

When Hermien has finally come out of the woods, she will not be made to journey on to the slaughterhouse. Instead, she will live out her days at a retirement home for cows in Friesland, thanks to the crowdfunding campaign carried out by the PvdD.