Yes, Cows Can Swim! Discover 5 Facts About These Surprising Swimmers

It’s not often that we see cows doing anything besides wandering in a field and eating grass, but would you be surprised to learn that cows may have the ability to swim? Today, we are going to learn as much as we can about these beefy bovines, but specifically in relation to if and how they can swim, especially given how large they are. By the end, you’ll know if a cow can swim and some of the facts surrounding it. Let’s get started.

Can Cows Swim?

Yes, cows can swim! In fact, they can swim even from a young age without having to be taught like a human child. Cows have evolved in environments including lakes and rivers, so swimming is important for them since they have to forage for pasture. Some types of cattle will even enter the water and swim without encouragement. However, cows cannot swim for overly long distances and prefer to move by walking in shallow waters that cover only a part of their legs. In deeper waters cows can struggle to swim fast, but they still have the ability to get around, albeit slowly.

5 Facts About Cows, Water, and Swimming

Need to know more about cows and their swimming habits? We’ve compiled a list of interesting facts that relate to cows and their ability to swim. Check them out below!

1. Some Cows Swim as Part of their Grazing Habits

According to experts, cows normally cross lakes, streams, rivers, and other water bodies every year in search of new grazing grounds. In some cases, they are even encouraged to swim across bodies of water as part of normal farming practices. For example, a herd of cattle in Ireland swim across a large lake each year to graze, totaling a distance of around 330 feet one way. The farmers and ranchers who control the herd are the ones that encourage the cows to take the swim each year!

2. Three Cows Caught in a Hurricane Swam Five Miles

During Hurricane Dorian, three cows were swept away from Cedar Island, North Carolina by a ‘mini-tsunami’ caused by the hurricane. The cows were washed five miles out to sea but miraculously survived by paddling to safety. Officials think the stranded cows floated up to 5 miles during the storm, which is pretty astounding considering how tumultuous the waters must have been at the time. Eventually, the cows were discovered at a national seashore on North Carolina’s Outer Banks, where they apparently washed up. Incredibly, they appeared to be totally fine and were grazing like nothing had happened to begin with.

3. Most Bovines Swim, Especially in Large Herds

Bovines are mammals that belong to the cattle family. Sure, the family includes cows, but it also includes a lot of others like buffaloes, bison, and yaks! Many bovines can swim well and use this skill to migrate, escape predators, or access food and water. One of the most spectacular examples of bovine swimming migration is the Great Migration in Africa, where millions of wildebeest, zebra, and other antelopes cross rivers and lakes during seasonal changes. These animals have to be wary of crocodiles while swimming, so they try to swim relatively quickly. The Great Migration takes place across Tanzania and Kenya, mainly in the Serengeti National Park and the Masai Mara National Reserve. Many of the nature documentaries that show water buffalos or something similar swimming across water takes place during these huge migrations. Besides being interesting, these migrations show that swimming is literally a part of a cows evolutionary history!

4. There are Health Benefits

Swimming is a good exercise for cows and can actually strengthen their heart and lungs, both of which can improve their circulation (the same thing is true for humans, by the way!). Swimming also helps them cool down on hot days and reduces the stress on their legs from carrying their heavy weight. Carrying around 1,500 lbs can probably get a bit tiring!

The photo featured at the top of this post is © iStock.com/Toltek