Wawan's Struggles as Sacrificial Cow Runs Wild at Janturan Mosque in Yogyakarta

Iduladha 2026 celebrations often feature memorable moments as sacrifice committee members handle livestock for slaughter. One such story involves Setiawan Eko Saputro, known as Wawan, a committee member at Remaja Masjid Baitunna’im in Janturan, Warungboto, Yogyakarta.

He recounted being knocked down and dragged by a cow that escaped while being prepared for sacrifice. Footage of the incident was shared on Instagram account @merapi_uncover. In the video, Wawan and other committee members cornered the cow on the street, with Wawan seen bending and clutching his leg before stepping back with a smile.

Wawan, interviewed at the scene, said the incident occurred around 10am on Wednesday, 27 May 2026. The escaped cow was the second of six intended for sacrifice at Masjid Baitunna’im.

“The second cow was quite unruly, stubborn, and difficult to handle. The pen was about 300 metres away, uphill,” Wawan said.

He added that the committee used equipment to manage the cow during slaughter preparation, but it likely became stressed due to the crowd. “The cow had already entered the equipment, but then it escaped, running down. It was hard to control as people surrounded it,” he explained.

“When it came down, it naturally ran off. I was holding the rope and fell on the slope,” Wawan continued.

The committee quickly calmed the agitated cow and guided it back to the slaughter site. “After that, getting it back up was easy, and the execution was done swiftly,” he said.

In a separate incident in Gamping, Sleman Regency, a sacrificial cow escaped and ran along the North Ring Road before being recaptured by residents.

“That happened around 10am on Wednesday,” said local resident Novri.

Novri explained the cow was destined for sacrifice at Masjid Al Falaah Ngawen. “According to friends, the cow may have been stressed due to many children nearby. It struggled and broke free during transportation,” he said.

The cow initially ran towards residents’ homes before entering the Ring Road area. It took about 15 to 25 minutes to guide it back into the village.

“After returning to the village, the cow was safely captured for slaughter,” Novri added. “Everyone was safe, with no injuries reported.”