Calf injured in Graz

Boys set off firecrackers, cows flee in panic

The calves were born at Lustbühel in September.(Bild: GBG)

Several boys set off firecrackers right next to the cowshed at Lustbühel in Graz on Friday evening. The animals panicked, fled and broke through two fences! A three-month-old calf was injured.

According to the only witness so far, the five to six boys are between 16 and 20 years old. At around 8.20 pm on Friday, they set off several firecrackers right next to the cowshed at Lustbühel in Graz, a popular recreational area in the east of the city.

The Murbodner cattle housed there panicked, fled and broke through two fences, one of which was completely shattered. "They only calmed down in the area of the vines," GBG Managing Director Günter Hirner told "Krone". The municipal GBG (Gebäude- und Baumanagement Graz) has been responsible for managing the area for two years. 

That was no longer youthful fun. This is where the fun ends!

Günter Hirner (GBG)

An employee who was in the barn during the incident was lucky not to have been injured by a fleeing animal. He briefly saw the youngsters, who took off in the direction of a wooded area near Hohenrainstrasse.

Three-month-old calf injured
The calves "Fiona" and "Selma", which were only born in September, were particularly distraught, with the latter even suffering injuries. As a consequence, the path to the stables is now closed at night, but the recreational area remains open during the day, says Hirner.

He appeals to people to show consideration for the animals at Lustbühel. The cows, sheep and donkeys will be joined in May by dwarf goats from Tierwelt Herberstein. In addition to the firecrackers, uncontrolled feeding and free-roaming dogs also cause problems time and again.