‘Unusual and tragic:’ Bull believed to be responsible for death of Donna man
As someone with more than four decades of experience with livestock, a Mercedes rancher said it’s rare for someone to lose their lives to livestock.
Teo Martinez, who is also known as the Hidalgo County Cowboy, said he got a call on Monday night about a jersey bull who may have killed its owner in the Donna area.
“This is my third time I see people die from that,” Martinez said.
On Monday, deputies with the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office responded to a property at the 900 block of Anderson Road in rural Donna, where an unidentified 75-year-old man was found dead.
A news release from the sheriff’s office said the man had failed to return home from feeding animals on the property. Wounds and bruises on the man indicated he had been trampled.
READ MORE: Sheriff’s office: Bull attack believed to be responsible for death of Donna man
According to Martinez, the victim’s family said a 4-year-old jersey bull on the property had been showing signs of aggression for the last four months.
Martinez says the behavior is a red flag all ranchers should watch out for.
“Sometimes we have mean bulls, they attack you, and they go first to scratch up the ground with their front leg, and they make noises, “Martinez said. “If you see this, don't be close because they can hurt you, and they move so fast like you can't even imagine"
According to the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office, the bull displayed aggressive behavior toward investigators as they approached it. Department spokesman Lt. Enrique Longoria said investigators couldn’t examine it or take photos of it.
“We typically don't see something like this in our area in deep South Texas,” Longoria said. “There is a lot of cattle in this, area and this is an unusual and very tragic event."
Longoria said the bull remained on the property.
“It's up to the owners to see what steps they're going to take — if they're going to continue raising the bull or have that bull put up for sale, whatever remedies the family is going to do, that's their prerogative,” Longoria said.
Martinez said the most important thing people can do when handling bulls is to never keep your eye off of them when you're feeding them. Don't get in the way of their horns, and never turn your back on them.
“They are strong —especially with the horns, they are like nails," Martinez said. “They're not hitting you straight, they hit you on the sides… so better be careful… Remember, he is an animal, he is not a pet. They are more heavy than you."
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