BERKELEY, Calif. (KGO) — Abigail Chavez brings the toddler she cares for to Tilden Little Farm every week.
“It’s really handy for entertainment. Especially when the kids aren’t inside and using their iPads and things like that,” she says.
The little one loves feeding the cows. And sometimes they take selfies to have fun.
“Yes, we take photos all the time!” says Chevaz.
At Little Farm, the animals are captive and used to interact with humans. But out in the open spaces of the East Bay Regional Park District, it’s not always a good idea to try to snap a selfie.
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“Bad idea! Definitely, (because) most cows are very protective of their calves. And the mountain cows weigh about 450 kilograms. So that’s a lot of muscle mass that you’re putting on,” says Stanley Ward, the farmer at Little Farm.
The park district grazes animals such as cattle on nearly 87,000 acres. August through October is calving season, and contact with calves can be dangerous for both humans and animals.
“These calves are not the kind of cows you find on small farms. This is not a petting zoo. They are pasture cows. They belong in this wilderness,” explains Allison Rofe, rangeland specialist at the East Bay Regional Parks District.
She has some tips for being outdoors: Do not approach or touch the calves. No selfies with calves. Do not stand between mother and calf and keep dogs on a leash.
“(Cows) are not defensive by nature. They may perceive dogs as predators, especially near their calves,” Rofe says.
The park administration recommends that if a calf and a cow meet on a path, you give them time to move away or leave the path to avoid them.
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