Escaped bull rams Napier home with mum and kids inside, inspires children’s book

Charlene Whyte and her children Elliott, 5, and Arya, 8, with the new book. Inset is the bull that inspired the story. Photo / NZME

A Napier mum let out a scream as an escaped bull rammed her home and shattered a glass door.

The bull had jumped over the neighbour’s fence and wandered through an open gate up to the family’s house, in the farming community of Puketapu just outside Napier.

The “freaky” ordeal from January 2023 has now inspired a fun children’s book, What’s That In Our Backyard?, authored by mum Charlene Whyte.

“It was the last week of the school holidays, so we were still sleeping,” Charlene said.

“It was maybe 9am. I had both kids - they came in the morning next to me in bed.”

They heard a peculiar noise outside and thought it must have been one of their cows, as they live on a small 3ha farm.

But her dog, Luna, started barking and she realised something was off.

“I went out into the lounge and I see this bull.

“I thought ‘oh my goodness that is a big animal looking at me’ and there is only a glass [sliding door] between us.

“He started headbutting the glass straight away when he saw me.

“This idiot is seeing himself in the reflection, thinking it is another bull.”

The bull ramming the house. Photo / Charlene Whyte

Fearing for her two kids Arya and Elliott - aged 6 and 3 at the time - she scrambled to call for help. Her husband was 30 minutes away.

“Every time he was headbutting, the house was creaking,” she said.

“When I was on the phone with my neighbour, it went smash, the glass just gave in. I screamed.”

She knew they weren’t safe any longer, and they shot outside -through another door - to lock themselves in the shed.

Fortunately, the bull did not get inside the house.

Help eventually arrived and the bull was taken back to his paddock.

After getting over the ordeal, and fixing two smashed glass doors, Charlene thought why not turn the story into a kids’ book?

It has long been a goal of hers to write a children’s book and she teamed up with local illustrator Nina Michaelsen.

The book was recently published and has received glowing feedback from the publisher.

Hundreds of children and parents have heard the whimsical children’s book so far.

Arya, now 8, said she had enjoyed retelling the story, reading the book out to children at local preschools with her mum.

What’s That In Our Backyard? is available in Wardini Books, Taradale Paper Plus, Puketapu Store, and Amazon (or by contacting Charlene via her website paintlife.nz).