The Cows in Corsica Love to Sunbathe — but Don’t Try to Take a Selfie With Them

The French island of Corsica is known for its striking cliff-side views, white sand beaches, and history as the birthplace of Napoleon Bonaparte.

Following a recent incident in which a woman was gored on a beach, its sunbathing cows are also making headlines.

The wild cows that inhabit the island have long spent time roaming the many beaches, coexisting with other beachgoers. The cows are not cuddly, however, and signs are posted throughout the beaches warning visitors to stay away from them. Authorities are now considering a more proactive plan to prevent the cows from injuring people.

One beachgoer who attempted to take a selfie with a cow was gored in the face and taken to the hospital last month, The Local reported. The tourist had several teeth damaged and required stitches, but her injuries were mild overall.

“It’s been the case for 40 years, they are very numerous from spring until the end of the summer, it’s a real problem,” Jean-Baptiste Luccioni, mayor of Pietrosella, told Euronews.

Luccioni is now putting several ideas forward to curb the problem, including castrating the bulls so that the species eventually dies out, while closing off areas of the beach in the mean time, local news outlet 20 Minutes reported. Others have suggested building several pounds to house the animals.

A local law enforcement group known as the “louvetrie” has existed in some form since the 8th century and is tasked with controlling the island's wolf population and later its boars. Many of the members of the louvetrie have refused to kill cows and pigs, however, particularly as grazing strays can exist alongside feral animals.

“For centuries, our job has been to deal with wild beasts; you don't shoot at domestic animals,” one member of the louvetrie told The Wall Street Journal.