CHAMPAIGN – A cow got loose on the Main Quad of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Wednesday afternoon.
Campus officials say the animal escaped at around 3:30 p.m. while being loaded onto a trailer at U of I’s College of Veterinary Medicine’s Large Animal Clinic.
The cow travelled through Mount Hope Cemetery north to campus grounds, until it came to rest on the west side of Foellinger Auditorium, said Patrick Wade, a U of I spokesperson, in an email.
Officials on the scene told onlookers and reporters to step back for safety. One U of I police officer recounted: “I just saw the cow a few minutes ago, get really close to people, and charge at them. And they had to run for safety.”
Dr. Katie Malone with U of I’s vet med also urged people to comply.
“This has gotta be like one of the most dangerous situations right now,” she said. “If you can stay out of eyesight as much as possible, we gotta minimize stimulation on this animal. She’s been darted three times already,” noting that the cow was shot with tranquilizer darts.
“Our priority is always the humane treatment and wellbeing of animals in our care,” Wade said. “When an animal is stressed and unpredictable, a tranquilizer is the safest option to protect both the animal and the public while allowing trained staff to regain control.”
Layla Kellerman, a U of I freshman, said she was walking on the quad with her headphones on and was unable to hear the officials’ announcements that there was a cow.
So when she saw the commotion, she said she feared the worst: “I was just thinking it was an active shooter, and they were telling us immediately to get in the building.”
The cow was wrapped in ropes, hoisted onto a gurney and into a trailer shortly after 5 p.m.
The cow was safely recovered and sustained “some superficial injuries,” Wade said.
On Thursday morning, Wade shared an update, saying the cow is happy and healthy.
No people were seriously injured during the event.
U of I will review the incident to determine what steps may need to be taken to prevent situations like this in the future, Wade said.
The cow was loaded onto the trailer as onlookers cheered at about 5:30 p.m. Thursday.
