A 67-year old man was attacked and killed by a herd of cows when on a walk in the Vrouwenbos nature area near Spaubeek in Limburg earlier this month.

The incident, which took place on August 10 but has only now been made public, happened in a meadow that had been recently opened to the public, a witness told local broadcaster L1 Nieuws. “The cows may not have been used to people,” she said.

According to the woman, the man had a dog on a leash with him. “But the dog made a move towards the cows and they turned on him. They stampeded right over him,” she said.

Other walkers and police on the scene were also attacked by the cows. It is unclear if the cows had calves or whether there was any other reason for them to behave aggressively. Beek local council has since closed the area to walkers.