When cattle in a herd are attacked, why don't the others help?

Cattle are common domestic animals and have played an important role in human history, especially during the farming period where cattle played an important role.

In fact, livestock such as buffalo or cows have a very clear herd mentality, but sometimes when a cow is attacked by a wild animal, the other cows around will not come to help but will appear very indifferent or will gather in groups with the rest.

With the development of science and the continuous understanding of nature, more and more wild animals became known to humans. In the 3rd century BC, Aristotle described 450 animal species; in the first half of the 18th century, Linnaeus described about 4,000 animal species; by the end of the 19th century, mankind had known more than 500,000 species.

Behavioral characteristics of livestock

Domestic cattle are herd animals, but like horses, they do not have a real leader and all members will act according to their own will. However, in the herd there is usually a dominant male, who has some special privileges such as eating or mating, and this male is usually the strongest and most experienced in the herd.

In addition, cattle have other behavioral characteristics. For example, cows are animals that like to lick each other, which helps them clean and relieve stress, as well as helps their companions remove parasites and makes them feel comfortable.

Currently, we know of more than 1,000,000 species of animals that exist on Earth, and according to taxonomists, this number is still not stopping and the actual number of species in the wild is still very large, it's just that we have not yet discovered them all.

Why Cattle Won't Come to the Help of a Herd Member Under Attack

Although cattle are usually herd animals, when one animal in the herd is attacked by a predator, the others will not come to help. Why is this?

Fear and stress

In fact, cattle are relatively shy animals , they often feel fear and anxiety when faced with threats. When a cow is attacked by a predator, other cows around will feel panic and anxiety, this stress and fear can cause them to run away or stand still and watch.

Humans prefer animals that have strong herd instincts. Some animals are raised from a young age, and when they grow up with humans, they will consider humans as family members or leaders. Therefore, it will be easier to tame or control them. Typical examples include dogs and horses.

Survival instinct

In nature as well as when raised by humans, livestock such as buffalo and cows often have to work hard to survive. Therefore, when a cow is attacked by a wild animal, other cows around will often not choose to help but choose to run away or stand aside to protect their lives.

In addition, if other livestock come to help, it can cause more serious disputes and damage to the herd.  Livestock often put their own interests first in order to survive in the wild.

In short, livestock do not come to help due to limited mobility, survival priorities, and other reasons.

Although livestock do not come to the aid of their fellows, they still choose to live in herds .  Living in herds is very important for the survival and reproduction of livestock.  Herds provide individuals with the various resources they need to reproduce and survive. Unity and cooperation among livestock are key factors for survival in the wild.

For humans, some enlightenment can be gained from the behavioral characteristics of livestock and the reasons why they do not come to help. For example, we should pay attention to the needs of others and team spirit, which is an important factor in the development of human society.

Animals chosen for domestication must often be omnivores, meaning that the food source they use must be easy to find in the surrounding environment. They can eat many different things, especially things that humans cannot eat, even human waste and leftovers.

Herbivores such as cattle, donkeys, horses, and sheep met this criterion because they were able to nibble on grass and surplus grains. Because of this, carnivores were somewhat more difficult to domesticate than herbivores, since they required humans to provide food from other animals.

Herbivores such as cows, horses, goats and sheep can forage on pastures or on human grain waste. Carnivores such as dogs and cats can make use of human waste or even insects.

This allows them to find enough food in and around human habitations to sustain their lives. Carnivores such as dogs and cats also satisfy this condition because they are willing to devour human waste, discarded items as well as insects that cling to them. The ancients chose some herbivores or animals that are not picky eaters, omnivores, and can eat anything to domesticate.

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