Tourists warned about aggressive cows

British tourists have reportedly been warned to avoid a group of aggressive mountain cows who have attacked ramblers in the Pyrenees.

One such incident occurred last Friday, when a German rambler, her husband and two children were set upon by the cows, who started trampling and biting them, Yahoo News reports. A 50-year-old man was reportedly hospitalised with head injuries in a separate case.

Local mountain police have suggested that the cows "knew exactly what they were doing" and told tourists to avoid the animals and never look them in the eye or approach them.

It is claimed that the cows can act in an aggressive manner when they believe their young to be in danger, with hot weather making them more combative.