Could a cow really get swept up by a tornado?
We’ve all seen it in the movies: A tornado touches down in an open field and lifts up a cow who seems completely unbothered by the menacing storm encroaching on his personal space.
July 8 is cow appreciation day, an initiative created by fast-food chain Chick-Fil-A in 2005.
That got us thinking about cows in films, which inevitably brought us to those famous scenes of bovines being lifted away by a tornado.
Can that actually happen in real life?
As dramatic as Hollywood makes it look, cows aren’t easily swept off their hooves.
The average cow can be over 600 kg, which is 10-20 times more than a person.
Although rare in Canada, some tornadoes are able to reach wind speeds over 300 km/h, that’s powerful enough to toss heavy objects, including livestock.
There have been a number of reports of farm animals being picked up by tornadoes and sometimes set down without harm.
That said, when severe weather strikes, livestock are incredibly vulnerable. Many animals have an instinct for approaching storms.
Livestock may huddle together, while wild animals often seek shelter in dense brush or burrows. It’s important never to restrain or tie animals up during a tornado.
So while the image of a slow-motion spinning cow in a funnel cloud might be exaggerated for laughs, the real impact of tornadoes on animals is no joke.
Video production by April Walker and Lia Nardone. Header image by Cheryl Santa Maria via Canva Pro.