People try to help poor cows that wandered into rush hour traffic in Delhi, India

4 years ago
7.5K

Stray cows are extremely numerous in India. It's a problem that is growing and there are no easy solutions in sight. They have become common in all large cities, wandering streets, inhabiting vacant lots, eating out of dumpsters, and relying on people for handouts. They find their way into markets and busy streets where we would not expect to find cows. This is an obvious safety problem for both the animals and for people. These cows have wandered down a road and into one of the busiest streets in Delhi. They seem largely unconcerned with the traffic around them, having become accustomed to the constant honking of horns and sounds of the moving vehicles. In fact, the honking going on here is not directed at these cows at all. It's simply a part of life in Delhi. The noise is constant here at almost any hour of the day.

The motorists in Delhi slow down and make their way around the cows for the most part, although some of them don't actually have the opportunity to see them until they are almost upon them. Fortunately, the traffic speeds during rush hour are not excessive. Traffic simply cannot move quickly for more than a few moments at a time.

Some of the motorists, as well as the camera man, made several attempts to help direct the cows, but it was a difficult process. With 6 lanes of traffic streaming past, standing on the road trying to help is a dangerous endeavor. The cows themselves were not receptive to the assistance either, and the cameraman actually found himself having to jump back from the horns as the one cow turned and tried to show its annoyance with a few horn strikes.
Eventually, a few of them managed to coordinate their efforts to stop traffic in some lanes, slow it in others and create an opportunity to safely encourage the cows off the road and onto the gravel shoulder.

When domestic cows no longer produce enough milk, feeding them becomes a cost that farmers cannot bear. Unable to slaughter them or use them for food, the farmers have no choice but to set them loose. With more cows being set free every day, this problem is not going away soon.

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