Raging 1,320lb bull kills farmer and his 87-year-old father

A German farmer and his father have both been killed by a raging bull which kept rescuers at bay for 45 minutes before it was eventually shot. 

Father and son, both named Josef Schoenberger, ages 60 and 87, were killed by the animal on a meadow in Gleissenberg, in rural Bavaria, Germany.

The farmer, aged 60, had gone to check on the herd but failed to return home when expected. 

His father Josef, 87, and his elderly mother set off to find him.

When the older man went into the meadow he did not even have time to see the danger before he too was also attacked by the bull.

The wife of the 87-year who did not enter the field and then raised the alarm, but rescuers were initially unable to get to the two men because of the angry bull.

The bull managed to keep rescuers away for 45 minutes before it could be shot eight times and killed by police.

Father and son, both named Josef Schoenberger, ages 60 and 87, were killed by the animal on a meadow in Gleissenberg, in rural Bavaria, Germany

It it is believed the bull was behaving aggressively because it had a number of calves in its herd and felt threatened by the two men. A stock photo of a bull is pictured above [File photo]

A police spokeswoman defended the time taken to kill the animal saying that the police weapons were not powerful enough to take down the 94 stone animal.

The bull was some 80 metres away from the officers in the centre of the field with its herd.

The distance weakened the power of the nine millimetre pistols that the officers had.

She admitted that they also had a machine gun pistol but this was also nine millimetre, and would therefore also not have had any ability to significantly harm the bull. 

Instead they had to wait until police officers some 12 kilometres away turned up with a G3 assault rifle. Even then it took eight bullets to kill the animal.

It it is believed the bull was behaving aggressively because it had a number of calves in its herd and felt threatened by the two men.

Police noted that the farmer was very experienced and was regularly on the meadow checking on the animals and had not experienced problems before.

The meadow where the incident occurred is pictured above. The young son, 60, had gone to check on the herd but failed to return home when expected. His father Josef, 87, and his elderly mother set off to find him

An official is pictured at the scene of the incident. A police spokeswoman defended the time taken to kill the animal saying that the police weapons were not powerful enough to take down the 94 stone animal

The police spokeswoman admitted that police also had a machine gun pistol but this was also nine millimetre, and would therefore also not have had any ability to significantly harm the bull. Instead they had to wait until police officers some 12 kilometres away turned up with a G3 assault rifle