NEWTON — Two cows on their way to being sold for beef at the stockyard in Meridian escaped before they got there Monday.

Retired cattle farmer Wayne Mims of Bay Springs was pulling a trailer with four cows on Highway 15 near Main Street in Newton when Police Chief Harvey Curry said a driver reported seeing two of them fall out.

Mims drove at least 20 miles before discovering them missing. Other cows were partitioned in and remained in the trailer.

“I got to Meridian and I had two cows short,” Mims said. “I was sick.”

If anyone tried honking at Mims, he might not have heard because his hearing aids were out, he said. 

Curry said the cows appeared to have survived the fall and were seen walking around.

They did not cause traffic problems, he said.  

Mims returned to Newton, where one of the cows was spotted in the woods off Highway 15. 

He and Officer Tyler Sistrunk with Newton Police tried to figure out how to get the animal back in the trailer.

They secured a rope and found the animal in a pasture, but were unable to catch her after several attempts. 

“She’s on the back side of this field here in the woods,” Mims said. 

The cow was not limping, but had some cuts on her hide, he said. 

Mims, who said he has 30-40 other cows in Bay Springs, described the missing animals as “short and solid.” 

A group planned to return to the field Tuesday with horses and dogs to try to help round up the cows. 

“I hope we can find her in the morning,” he said.