Cow injured by hook in eye raises alarm over electric fence safety in Norway

A cow in Norway suffered an eye injury after getting a hook embedded in its eye while grazing in a mountain pasture. The farmer believes the hook came from an electric fence that was not connected to power near a cabin in the area. Electric fences require regular supervision and must always be powered, which makes their unauthorized use illegal, according to Astri Ham, a department head at the Norwegian Food Safety Authority. Both the farmer and the authority highlight that the use of temporary fencing in grazing areas is an increasing problem.

The farmer, Lage Ranheim, described the injury as brutal upon seeing a photo of the cow with the hook lodged in its eyelid. “You feel angry, scared, and frustrated. You understand the animal must have been in terrible pain,” he said. Norway’s largest cabin municipality has tightened regulations on fencing around cabins in response to several incidents of animals getting stuck.

Ranheim suspects the hook belonged to a fence around a nearby cabin, expressing concern over the serious nature of such issues. He noted he counted ten to twelve cabins fenced in with electric fences, only one of which was actually powered. The law mandates that anyone constructing such fencing is responsible for monitoring its safety to prevent animal injuries.

According to Ham, there have been numerous reports and images of animals trapped in plastic netting or electric fences around cabins. She emphasizes the importance of implementing permanent fencing solutions to avoid these dangers. Despite the frightening incident, the cow has since recovered and returned to its herd.