BELLINGHAM, Wash. — A rogue cow has been eluding Whatcom County authorities for nearly two months.
“Mabel” the cow has been on the lam since August 10th, after she escaped her livestock trailer along with another cow - who’s since been safely captured.
Attempts to wrangle Mabel just this past Tuesday proved unsuccessful, forcing the Whatcom Humane Society to get directly involved with the search and rescue.
According to Laura Clark, Executive Director at WHS, local officials are now calling Mabel’s whereabouts a public safety issue.
“Our concern as the Whatcom Humane Society and the animal control provider for the community is that, as it gets darker earlier, as food sources like grass start to dry up, Mabel’s going to find herself in trouble,” says Clark.
“That’s what we don’t want. So, we’re really concerned about her safety,” continued Clark. “Not necessarily the fact that she’s aggressive. She’s not an aggressive cow, but she’s a scared cow, and scared cows can do scary things.”
Clark says that there’s plenty of food and water around, for now. But, as sunlight diminishes and the grass dries up, it could create issues down the line.
Furthermore, because Mabel isn’t a dairy cow, she hasn’t had much human interaction. If cornered or scared, she could cause injury to herself or members of the community.
She might be fearful, but she’s also become a bit of a local legend. She’s definitely leaving her mark around the community, as calling cards in the form of cow patties have been popping up on lawns in the area.
But, Clark and WHS just want to bring Mabel in, in the most efficient, humane, and safest way possible.
“While Whatcom County is fairly rural, the area that she’s in is not. And, so that’s where we get more and more concerned,” Clark went on to say. “So, what we need the public to do is just communicate when you see her or see signs of her. And, we’re going to do everything we can as the Whatcom Humane Society to get her somewhere safe.”
They’re aware of the general area where she’s sheltering. However, authorities warn that people should not attempt to approach her. That could result in further damage and make it even more difficult to secure her.
WHS says they’ve already had several issues with locals frightening her in their attempts to contain her. Instead, if you happen to see Mabel, just report the time, location, and date by contacting Animal Control Dispatch at 360-733-2080 (ext. 3017).
As Clark notes, WHS has been working with neighbors around the community. They’ve set up feeding stations and have been receiving notifications whenever the cow pops up.
They’ve also recently set up game cameras. And, officials are going to start using drones to track her location, in the hopes of eventually boxing her in.
“As we start to gain her trust, we’re going to slowly build a very secure enclosure around those feeding areas, along with livestock trailers, so we can hopefully safely contain her and get her into a livestock trailer,” Clark says. “This takes time, because she does not trust people right now.”
As for the owner, he’s washed his hands of the whole ordeal, ceding control over to WHS. If (and when) Mabel is captured, she’ll be transported to the Whatcom Humane Society farm facility for future care.