Bellingham cow evades capture for 2 months, now ‘public safety’ issue

After approximately two months of searching, a rogue brown cow named Mabel continues to elude Whatcom County authorities.

The Whatcom Humane Society (WHS) is now involved in the search, as the organization is deeming this a “public safety issue.”

More PNW animal news: Dog recovering after falling off I-5 overpass, landing on car windshield

“Mabel weighs 1,000 pounds, so our concern is that as it gets darker earlier, and as food sources start to dry up, Mabel is going to find herself in trouble,” Laura Clark, Executive Director of WHS, told KIRO Newsradio.

Bellingham Police initially received a report of two cows escaping a livestock trailer near the intersection of E. Sunset Drive and Hannegan Road back on Aug. 10. The cows split up, with one spotted near Woburn and East Illinois Street, and the other near the Sportsplex, according to Cascadia Daily News.

At approximately 11:30 p.m. that night, near where the cows first got loose, one cow was eventually wrangled. The cow’s owner, Bellingham police officers and local residents all contributed to the capture, but the other cow has yet to be found.

If anyone spots Mabel, do not approach, walk the other way and contact local authorities.

‘Biggest cat hoarding case:’ 130 animals rescued in Brinnon

“We’re really concerned about her safety, and not necessarily the fact she’s aggressive,” Clark said. “She’s not an aggressive cow, but she’s a scared cow, and scared cows can do scary things.”

When Mabel is found and captured, she is expected to be transported to the WHS farm facility for future care. Anyone with additional information is encouraged to call the animal control dispatch line and report the time and location at (360) 733-2080, ext 3017.

This is a developing story, check back for updates

Frank Sumrall is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read his stories here and you can email him here.