Farmer taking action to stop TikTokers hugging cows

A farmer has said he is planning to out-breed his highland cows to try to stop walkers and social media influencers from hugging them.

Cattle farmer Alex Birch, from Derbyshire, told the BBC he was taking action to make the cows "less photogenic" in the future due to a "growing trend" on social media.

The Peak District National Park Authority has previously warned people about getting too close, feeding, or taking selfies with cows.

Speaking to the BBC, Birch said: "My cows don't get any peace... I've seen the videos, I've seen it in person, I've seen someone filming a yoga video next to them."

The farmer said the highland cows had been in his family since his grandfather introduced them in the 1970s.

Birch added he had "not taken the decision lightly" but felt he had no choice.

Out-breeding involves crossing the highland cows with another hill breed in order to make them less appealing to visitors.

He said they were approached regularly and the situation had exacerbated due to social media.

The cattle, which roam on moorland at Baslow Edge, have become a tourist attraction in recent years, drawing visitors from across the country, with a large increase since the pandemic, Birch added.

He said one time he found "30 people with their cameras flashing" with the cows cornered at the edge of a field.

"People just can't understand it when you tell them not to approach them and that the cows might turn on them.

"They don't think it's a problem, they can't see the danger," he said.

Birch, 39, also added that if a person was injured, he could be liable for prosecution.

"We are going to breed them out, we're going to cross them with a different hill breed.

"The intention is to make them less photogenic... it's sad, it's not a decision I wanted to make, my grandfather is not particularly happy about it but he does understand.

"This is not just the odd occasion, this has been going on for four years... people are so persistent."

The Peak District National Park Authority said hugging cows should be avoided as it was "highly dangerous" due to the risk of being trampled, charged, or attacked, especially when cows have calves.

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