Cow of Kesteren

 Introduction 

The Cow of Kesteren is a cow that sits on the Pedestrian Foot-Bridge over the mainline tracks at Kesteren. It appears to live there, and passer-bys have to choose to step around the cow, or choose to cross the rails on the road. The cow is friendly, and enjoys company as well as donations of food. The Cow is the mascot of the local football team, and has received recognition as a staple of Kesteren.

Attempts by the public were made to build a shelter for him, but the Cow appears to be just fine.

 Known Information 

It is unknown who owns the Cow, but it was first seen wandering along the rails at Hoogburg. Local police was not dispatched for they assumed the cow would walk back.

The Cow was then seen at Kesteren in the middle of the night, upon which he boarded a baggage car (unknown to by the crew), and rode all the way to Dokmuiden, where he left. Wandering through the city streets, the Cow did not cause trouble. He followed the canal to Seest, where he rode a train (this time on a construction flat-car) back to Kesteren.

The Cow has chosen its permanent residence it seems at the foot-bridge.

 Efforts to move the Cow 

There have been attempts to move the cow. Local parents say that the Cow blocks one of the safest routes above the tracks, and is directly in line with the path to the school that lies across the tracks. Local teenagers and youths have opposed that however, stating the Cow doesn't block them at all, and is in fact a friendly face.

 Removal of the Cow 

In 1949, the railway removed the pedestrian foot-bridge in accordance with the Township of Kesteren to comply with the track renovations going on there. The railway promised that the bridge would be replaced even better, and the Cow was vacated from the premises and went to a local farmer's shed.

The pedestrian foot-bridge was never rebuilt, and the Cow has wandered off. It is unknown where it went.

 Court-Case 

Subsequently following it's removal in 1949, a band of local teenagers and lawyer from Rotterdam Trust decided to do the unthinkable. It is dictated in the following article from The Tribune:

"There is an ongoing current court-case from the Cow's current representative lawyers, for the unjust and unfair removal as well as un-fair representative in Court in relation to it's removal from it's permanent housing upon the foot-bridge without proper filing or representation on the Cow's behalf. Despite the court-case being recent, the public outcry has reached a simmering point, with a band of teenagers using the slogan "Bring Back The Cow!" to protest the Cow's removal. The court-case is currently hard, as the Cow has failed to report to each and every summon, due to it's permanent removal of it's home, therefore sending all of it's mail and summons, to somewhere in Norway."

Protests are still ongoing.