COARSEGOLD — A group of neighbors in the River Knolls area are both amused and sometimes bewildered by a small herd of cattle roaming the countryside where, normally, no cows would be.
Posts about the cows started appearing on a River Knolls online bulletin board almost four weeks ago, and people figure the cattle must have taken advantage of a busted fence following weeks of heavy rain.
River Knolls is a great place to live, say residents, and the cows apparently agree. It’s one of those patches of land where people wave to each other, potluck together, and generally look out for one another — cows included. That’s why they’re anxious to find out who owns the errant herd.
Residents say it’s not uncommon now to find a cow grazing in a previously private yard, though the some of the bucolic bovines remain elusive.
Animal control has been contacted but hasn’t been able, so far, to get a handle on the willfully free-range cattle. At least one person in the neighborhood has had the experience of a cow coming off the bank and crashing right into their truck. Fortunately, the driver was traveling at a speed which can generally accommodate a cow-tastrophe, and everyone in the area is encouraged to slow down until the matter is resolved — especially at night.
It appears as though part of the mystery may have been solved — a man arrived in the area recently to claim his cows that had been crossing the river, and says he has fixed the fence problem. Meanwhile, there are a few black and white beauties who remain on the loose and another fence, somewhere, that needs to be repaired.
With spring around the corner and sun shining down on the green velvety foothills, local kids are getting a kick out of seeing random cows, and at least one neighbor in River Knolls is happy to get his grass trimmed.
