German cow escapes slaughterhouse, heads to Oktoberfest

When one cow escaped the slaughterhouse in Germany where it was being held, it had the right idea: It headed straight for Oktoberfest.

The 1,200-pound cow escaped from a slaughterhouse Tuesday when an employee accidentally left one of the gates open, and a high-speed chase followed. Along the way, the cow knocked out a woman who was jogging along the road before it ran toward Munich's Oktoberfest tents.

Oktoberfest is scheduled to start in two weeks, and workers were preparing the beer festival's tents when the cow headed their way. "The cow then tried to attack another person and was luckily blocked by a police vehicle, which eventually got damaged by the impact," police spokesperson Carsten Neubert told NBC News.

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Sadly, the cow's journey ended there: Officers shot it with a rifle. Some German animal lovers built it a thoughtful memorial, though, calling the cow a symbol of freedom.

NBC News also notes that the slaughterhouse confirmed the late cow's meat "would be disposed of and would not end up on Oktoberfest's grills." Rest in peace, buddy — let's hope they serve beer in cow heaven.