For the Gals: Why I feel safe in America

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Cow of Terror!!!!

 

Family sues BR zoo, claims cow hurt boy

 

By ADRIAN ANGELETTE

aangelette@theadvocate.com

Advocate staff writer

A family's trip to BREC's Baton Rouge Zoo petting farm last year turned into a struggle with a cow that left a 3-year-old child emotionally scarred, a lawsuit says.

 

The culprit, according to the lawsuit, is a belted Galloway cow that has since been removed from the exhibit because of the ordeal.

 

Randy Svara of Livingston Parish says in the lawsuit that his family went to the zoo in March 2002.

 

While at the petting barn, the cow grabbed his son's arm with its mouth and pulled the child's arm through the fence, the suit says.

 

The cow then repeatedly rammed the child's arm against the fence. Randy Svara tugged on the cow's head to free his son, Stone, to no avail, says the lawsuit, filed late Monday.

 

"Mr. Svara had to throw his body over the fence and grab the cow by the tuft of hair on the top of the cow's head and the cow's throat in order to restrain the cow long enough for Mrs. Svara to remove Stone's arm from the fence," the lawsuit says.

 

Attempts to speak with the Svaras or their attorney, DeVonna Ponthieu of Denham Springs, were unsuccessful Tuesday.

 

Kristi Barnett, communications director for the Baton Rouge Recreation and Park Commission, said recreation officials hope the child fully recovers from the unfortunate incident.

 

She said the zoo had no previous problems with the cow, which was turned over to an area farmer after the incident.

 

"It's very domesticated," Barnett said.

 

Svara's lawsuit says the problem was made worse because the family could not get immediate help from zoo officials.

 

The family looked for 30 minutes before finding an employee.

 

The employee could only provide hydrogen peroxide and a "stiff, brown restroom paper towel," the suit says.

 

Svara took his son to Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center where he was diagnosed with a bruised upper right arm and treated with ibuprofen and ice, according to the lawsuit.

 

The family took the child totwo subsequent visits to his pediatrician.

 

Svara also took the child to a psychiatrist after the boy had problems sleeping and kept talking about the incident.

 

The psychiatrist determined that the incident affected the child's speech pattern and sleep, the lawsuit says.

 

Barnett said the child was treated with ice at the zoo.

 

She said the zoo has many places where first-aid kits are kept.

 

One such place is near the petting barn.

 

She said the employee named as a defendant in the lawsuit and most other zoo employees receive first-aid training.

 

The case has been assigned to state District Judge Tim Kelley in the 19th Judicial District Court

 

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There's no such thing as absolute safety. If climbing were perfectly safe it would be called sport climbing.