Cows and bulls come down from the surrounding hills of Kriva Palanka, most often at night, making their way through the streets, grazing in parks and entering private yards. The scene resembles a plot from an Emir Kusturica Balkan film, but for the residents of this northeastern city in North Macedonia, it is an everyday problem that has been going on for years.
More than 1,000 cattle roam freely. They destroy vegetable gardens, fruit trees, fences and agricultural produce, and sometimes appear among the cars on the road to Bulgaria. Local residents have also warned of a risk to the water supply after animals were spotted near key water sources.
From 400 Animals to More Than 1,000
Mayor Sashko Mitovski told the Associated Press that the herd has grown from around 400 cattle four years ago to more than 1,000 today.
According to him, the animals roam freely through Kriva Palanka and 34 surrounding villages. Residents have already organized protests, demanding that state institutions put an end to the herd’s wandering and take responsibility for it.
The problem is not only agricultural. Retiree Lazo Stamenkovski, who lives on the outskirts of the city, says the cattle have destroyed more than 150 trees in his orchard. Other residents describe damaged fences, trampled fields and animals suddenly appearing near their homes.
Seizure Order That Has Not Been Enforced
In 2024, the Food and Veterinary Agency issued an order to seize the herd from its three owners. According to Mitovski, however, the order was not enforced, while the municipality has no legal authority to confiscate the animals on its own.
One of the owners was detained last year for obstructing an attempted seizure. He was later released after an agency inspector told the court that he had found no obstruction of the operation. The mayor describes the case as a series of institutional failures in which responsibility is passed between different authorities.
Mitovski has asked the government to declare a 30-day state of crisis. He says this would make it possible to secure funding, equipment and a place to house the animals. As of the latest published information, no decision on the request has been announced.
A Herd Worth Hundreds of Thousands of Euros
Based on current market prices, the value of the more than 1,000 cattle is estimated at between 360,000 and 570,000 euros. Some residents believe the animals could be sold at affordable prices to people who have the facilities to raise them.
The irony has not escaped the locals. A resident standing on the bridge over the Kriva River said that the animals had eaten the flowers in his yard.
„Next time I’ll make a salad out of flowers and invite the cows to a party,“ he joked.Behind the joke, however, the problem remains: people are losing their crops, the animals have been left without supervision, and the institutions have still found neither a place for the herd nor anyone to take responsibility for it.
Sources: apnews.com, euronews.com