You wake up, put the kettle on and draw back the curtains to admire the beautiful view outside – only to find a huge bull relaxing in your back garden.
Just another day in the Northamptonshire countryside.
Okay, maybe this scenario isn’t that common but it’s pretty much exactly what happened to a couple in Raunds this weekend, and as I’ve never been to Northamptonshire, this is all I have to go off.
One of the homeowners, who does not wish to be named, had gone downstairs to make a hot drink on Sunday, November 3, when he spotted the massive animal making itself at home in the garden.
He recalled his reaction, saying:
My first thought was ‘f*ck, Arnold’s in the garden’.
I must point out, the homeowner didn’t spontaneously name the creature after spotting him – this was a bull he was already familiar with.
Arnold, who weighs nearly one tonne, is named after bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger – most likely because of his beefy stature. He usually lives in the field behind the house, but at some point in the night he’d smashed through the fence separating the back garden from his grassy home.
The surprised homeowner informed his fiancée of their visitor, but at first she didn’t believe him, as the scenario was one they’d joked about before.
Luckily the man was able to support his argument with evidence simply by pointing out of the window to where Arnold was still lingering.
Recalling his partner’s reaction, the homeowner said:
She was petrified. It was a moment of panic.
I didn’t think it was wise to go outside it as [Arnold] was probably really distressed.
During his rampage, the bull also headbutted the couple’s wheelie bin, left ‘hoof-shaped pot holes’ on the grass and pooed on the patio.
The animal clearly wanted to mark the garden as his new territory.
Unfortunately for him, however, the homeowners weren’t willing to share their land with the giant bull, so they called the farmer who owned Arnold for help.
While they waited for the farmer’s arrival, the pair could do nothing but watch Arnold destroy their garden.
The frustrated homeowner continued:
I managed to get through to the farmer and he was 40 minutes away. So we just sat and watched as he tore up the garden basically.
I had been doing up the garden over the summer but he’s completely ruined my turf!
We’ve been living here 18 months and have seen the odd sheep outside the house. But needless to say, we’ve never had a surprise like that on a weekend.
Thankfully the farmer eventually came to the rescue and managed to tame the bull, though the couple might have to invest in some stronger fencing if they want to stop Arnold from making a comeback!
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Emily Brown first began delivering important news stories aged just 13, when she launched her career with a paper round. She graduated with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University, and went on to become a freelance writer and blogger. Emily contributed to The Sunday Times Travel Magazine and Student Problems before becoming a journalist at UNILAD, where she works on breaking news as well as longer form features.