Escaped highland cattle cause nighttime police operations in Kulmbach!

Escaped highland cattle cause nighttime police operations in Kulmbach!

On Tuesday evening, June 10, 2025, an unexpected incident occurred in the Kulmbach district when some high-legged cattle were spotted on the local road between Wernstein and Schmeilsdorf. Road users noticed the animals running loose around 10 p.m. and immediately called the police. The law enforcement officers moved out quickly and cordoned off the street to prevent possible accidents. The cattle had escaped through a hole in the pasture fence, which made the situation possible. Thanks to the quick intervention of the officials and the animals' owner, the cattle were ultimately safely driven back to the pasture before serious, dangerous situations arose.

But this acute situation in Kulmbach is not just a one-time affair. Cattle farming plays an important role in agriculture and has many facets. About half of the farmers in Germany keep cattle, be it for milk, meat or both. The increasing mechanization in agriculture has reduced the importance of cattle as draft animals, but their economic relevance remains unbroken. In 2019, the production value of cattle farming in Germany was a remarkable 14.5 billion euros, a large part of which comes from milk production. Around 3 million animals live in Bavaria, the state with the most cattle.

A tragic incident at Fliegerberg

While some cattle caused a stir in Kulmbach, another incident was reported on the same day at the DBU natural heritage area on Fliegerberg. There, the grazing animal owner Richard Löttert missed his Scottish highland cattle named Otis. Otis had broken through the electric fence under unclear circumstances and got caught in it. Despite the owner's efforts, Otis could not be saved and ultimately had to be rescued by a veterinarian. A tragic loss for Richard Löttert, who described Otis as good-natured and trusting, as well as for landscape management, where this robust breed plays an important role.

Scottish Highland cattle are not only kept as farm animals, but are also used as landscape managers. These animals actively contribute to the preservation of valuable habitats and use their dung to create food for numerous insects. They are well adapted to poor feed and changeable weather conditions, which makes them ideal for extensive farming in nature. The other two bulls on the Fliegerberg, Malcolm Junior and Markus, also showed no abnormalities and remained unaffected by the incident.

The versatility of cattle farming

There are various systems in cattle farming that are aimed at producing milk and beef. The trend shows that the number of cattle farmers in Germany has fallen by 25% since 2010, while the number of owners is increasing and more and more animals are being kept on large farms. Germany is the largest milk producer in the EU and ranks second in beef production. Around three out of four cattle live in free stalls instead of being tied up, which improves animal welfare and takes modern requirements into account.

Overall, cattle farming remains an important part of Bavarian and German agriculture, both economically and ecologically, and not just in crisis situations such as the recent incidents. The combination of traditional practice and modern standards is becoming increasingly important in order to meet growing demand while at the same time balancing animal welfare and nature conservation.