Rampaging Cow Disrupts Arkansas Livestock Auction, Climbs Bleachers and Damages Ceiling (video)

A cow at an auction tried to escape by scaling the bleachers occupied by attendees

A chaotic scene unfolded at a livestock auction in Decatur, Arkansas, when a cow broke free from its pen and charged into the crowd, climbing bleachers and damaging ceiling tiles before eventually cornering itself. The unexpected disruption, captured on video by stunned attendees, turned the routine auction into a moment of frenzy and confusion.

Witnesses watched as the rogue cow hoofed its way up a set of indoor bleachers, sending auctioneers and spectators scrambling for safety. Ceiling tiles crashed to the ground as the animal clumsily navigated the upper level of the auction house, startling nearby attendees — including one man with two forearm crutches, who narrowly avoided the charging animal.

The cow was safely captured by farmers later

In the video, Ashley Buffer can be heard calling out to a fellow attendee attempting to dodge the runaway cow: “Get out of there – get out of there, Leon! Get down from there.” The commotion grew as another man, identified only as Johnny, accidentally moved toward the cow instead of away, prompting Buffer to shout, “Oh, Johnny. Oh Johnny. Johnny’s going the wrong way.”

Eventually, the panicked cow cornered itself, allowing farmers and staff to capture and guide it safely out of the building without further incident.

The cow tore down several roof tiles along the way

Incidents like this are not uncommon, as cattle have been known to escape their enclosures and disrupt public spaces. In a similar case earlier this year, a cow wandered onto a Florida interstate late at night, requiring multiple officers to bring it under control while amused bystanders chanted “free the cow!” In another incident, a cow in Pennsylvania wandered onto a college campus, leading to student panic and a police response that ended with the animal being driven off campus rather than captured.

These increasingly frequent bovine escapes continue to draw both amusement and concern from the public, especially as they highlight the unpredictability of livestock and the need for reinforced containment during auctions and transportation.