The Cow of Kesteren is a cow that sits on the Pedestrian Foot-Bridge over the mainline tracks at Kesteren. It appears to live there, and passers-by have to to step around the cow, or cross the rails on the road in order to get across. The cow is however, is friendly and enjoys the company, and the generous donations of food. The Cow is the mascot of the local football team, and has received recognition as a staple of Kesteren.
Attempts by the public were made to build a shelter for it, but the Cow appears to be content where it is.
Known Information
It is unknown who owns the Cow, but it was first seen wandering along the rails at Hoogburg. Local police were not dispatched for they assumed the cow would simply leave.
The Cow was then seen at Kesteren in the middle of the night, upon which it boarded a baggage car (unknown to the crew), and rode all the way to Dokmuiden, where it left. Wandering through the city streets, the Cow did not cause trouble. It followed the canal to Seest, where it rode a train (this time on a construction flat-car) back to Kesteren.
Thus, the Cow decided to make the foot-bridge its permanent home.
Efforts to move the Cow
There have been attempts to move the cow. Local parents have argued, saying the Cow is blocking one of the safest paths across the mainline, and is directly in the way with the path to the school that lies across the tracks. Local teenagers and youths are opposed to this however, stating the Cow doesn't block their way across, and is in fact a friendly and welcoming face.
Removal of the Cow
In 1949, the railway removed the pedestrian foot-bridge in accordance with the Township of Kesteren to comply with new track renovations going on there. The railway promised that the bridge would be replaced with an even better one, and the Cow was vacated from the premises and was relocated to a local farmer's shed.
The pedestrian foot-bridge however, was never rebuilt, and the Cow seemingly wandered off. Its current whereabouts are unknown.
Court-Case
Subsequently following its removal in 1949, a band of local teenagers and a lawyer from the Rotterdam Trust decided to do the unthinkable. It is dictated in the following article from The Tribune:
"There is an ongoing court-case from the Cow's current representative lawyers, for the unjust and unfair removal as well as unfair representative in Court in relation to its removal from its permanent housing upon the foot-bridge without proper filing or representation on the Cow's behalf. Despite the court-case being recent, the public outcry has reached a simmering point, with a band of teenagers using the slogan "Bring Back The Cow!" to protest the Cow's removal. The court-case is a challenge, as the Cow has failed to report to each and every summon, due to its permanent removal of its home, therefore sending all of its mail and summons, to somewhere in Norway."
Protests are still ongoing.