A seven year-old boy died on Monday after being attacked by a cow on a campsite on a farm in Zeeland, Dutch media report.

The incident happened as the cow was being led from one field to another. According to police, the child, who is the son of the owner of the farm, was not kicked or trampled on but attacked. Why the cow did so is unclear.

Attacks by cows are rare, according to Jan Vullings, editor of farming magazine De Boerderij.

‘It is very sad. It is very unusual for a cow to attack an adult or a child (..). But cows are large animals and can weigh up to 500 kilos. You always have to be on the alert. If they are spooked by something they can be unpredictable,’ he told RTL Nieuws.