Northern Ont. residents concerned about loose cow on Hwy. 17

A group of residents north of Sault Ste. Marie is worried about a cow that has been hanging around Highway 17 for the last seven months following a crash.

A truckload full of livestock heading to slaughter crashed and 40-50 cows got loose May 15 in the Old Woman Bay area of Lake Superior Provincial Park, about 25 kilometres south of Wawa, Ontario Provincial Police said.

Contractors were brought in to corral the cattle, but no word from police on how many were caught.

Cow Collecting at Old Woman Bay

CTV News reached out to the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry and was directed to the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA).

OMAFRA told CTV News in a phone interview it doesn't respond to farm animals roaming at large. 

"There is an obligation of farmers and animal owners to keep their animals under their care and to get them back under control when they escape containment. Under no circumstances is it acceptable to allow farm animals to roam unchecked in Ontario," Christoph Wand, an OMAFRA livestock sustainability specialist, said in a February 2021 info sheet titled 'Dealing with Escaped Livestock in Your Community.'

Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) told CTV News in an email it cannot share information about the former owners of the cows due to an active court case, but said the remaining cow(s) are no longer owned by any company or individual.

In August, a herd of five cows was seen grazing on the side of the highway in the same area.

Over the last three months, a single cow has been seen by numerous people by itself along the road.

Sara Giba-Pilotte took a photo of the cow standing on the highway in September.

"He seems to be interested in humans, wish I could have brought him home," she said in a social media post.

Cow stands on Highway 17 in the Old Woman Bay area. Sept. 18/22 (Sara Giba-Pilotte)

Brian Lachine, of Wawa, works in the environment department of the Wesdome Gold Mine.

Lachine told CTV News in a phone interview that he and his wife were driving on the highway Oct. 20 and saw the cow on the south side of the bridge.

His friend Craig Watson, who also works for the Wawa mine, told CTV News he saw the cow last week and heard it was seen most recently Monday.

Someone is feeding it hay on the side of the road, so it hasn't moved, Watson said in a phone interview.

"I saw him a couple weeks ago and … he's so cute and he looks really healthy, but I know there's a ton of snow coming and it's not good," Emma Blanchet, of Wawa, told CTV News in a phone interview.

"I hate to think of him out there, it's so sad."

She said lots of people have reached out and want to help, but no one seems to have the equipment and experience needed.

Watson said the cow is not in a great spot because it is on a two-lane stretch going uphill coming out of Old Woman Bay and heading toward Wawa. And now with the snow, there is no shoulder on the side of the road either.

"Stopping on the highway is not a great idea, especially in the winter," he said.

Highway 17 was closed Tuesday between Wawa and Batchawana due to weather conditions and with the approaching winter storm, more closures are possible.

Watson captured the cow on video in the snow on the side of the highway Wednesday.

The video shows the cow responding to his voice, taking a few steps toward him before dashing off across the highway.

"Recapture is usually best left to experienced individuals that understand animal motivators and the appropriate precautions and safety considerations," Wand said.

"In some cases, animals will need to be captured in a secure coral or pen on their own time using feed, water and herd-mate cues. Using these motivators in recapture rather than using fear-based motivators such as driving the animals is typically more humane, controlled and effective."

Silver Willow Farm Rescue and Sanctuary, near Barrie, has offered on social media to take the cow in and cover shipping costs if someone with the necessary equipment can pen the animal and bring it down to the farm.