Did You See the Cows on the New York State Thruway?

16 cows made an unexpected pitstop on the New York State Thruway last week... lucky for the them, maintenance crews were nearby to spring into action.

The New York State Thruway Authority was full of jokes when they shared the news of the bovine visitors who were facing a dangerous situation after their transport truck broke down.

Recent Changes to the New York State Thruway

There has been extra attention on the Thruway in recent years, with both the removal of staffed toll booths and the complete remodels of nearly every Thruway rest stop (including the biggest rest stop in the state located in the Hudson Valley). The cows, however, were a new wrinkle.

Cows Stranded on the New York State Thruway

"We have a moo-ving story for you", began the pun-filled post from the NYSTA (below). They went on to explain that 16 cows were facing an uncertain future after their transport truck became disabled on I-90 in western New York.

Cows "Rescued" by Thruway Crew after Truck Breaks Down

The cows, which were contained in a fenced area and watered by filling an excavator bucket, seem to have landed in the right place, as the Silver Creek Maintenance Section that helped the bovines was recently awarded for their dedication to their job (below).

As the Thruway Authority noted, the Silver Creek Maintenance Section was acknowledged as the "Section of the Year" for 2024. If the stranded cows have anything to say about it, there will no doubt be a repeat award in 2025.

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From farm animals stranded on the thruway to wild omnivores who decided to explore a college campus, there seems to always be four-legged creatures creating some sort of chaos. Check out the SUNY New Paltz bear below.