Indian cattle warning sign

A triangle showing a humped ox.

Also known as: Cows on road sign, Zebu warning sign

Road & transportStandard profile

Meanings

The Indian cautionary sign warning of cattle on the carriageway, drawn with a zebu rather than a European cow.

Officially standardisedVerified fact
Warns of cattle on or crossing the carriageway.
Contexts: Road signage
Officially standardisedVerified fact
Draws a humped zebu rather than the taurine cow used on European signs, so the same hazard is depicted with the animal actually found on the road.
Contexts: Road signage

A bordered triangle containing the side outline of an ox with a pronounced shoulder hump and a dewlap.

IdentityHigh confidence: High confidence because the identity is defined by a current official standard.
Historical originModerate confidence: Moderate confidence because the historical origin is documented in encyclopedic references, but early or supporting evidence is limited, but the regional or cultural match to this specific claim is not precise.
Current useHigh confidence: High confidence because the current use is defined by a current official standard.
Visual matchHigh confidence: High confidence because the visual match is documented in encyclopedic references.

Road signs in India
Wikipedia · retrieved 2026-08-25
Tertiary reference. Used for the correspondence between Indian signs and the Vienna Convention families, for statements about multilingual signing practice, and for the history of a sign's adoption. Not used where IRC:67 or the statutory schedule covers the point.
IRC:67, Code of Practice for Road Signs
Indian Roads Congress · retrieved 2026-08-25
The Indian national code of practice for road signs, which defines the mandatory, cautionary and informatory sign families, their shapes, and their meanings. Cited for a sign's identity and defined meaning. Records are descriptive and are not a statement of any road user's legal obligation, which is fixed by the Motor Vehicles Act and its rules.

Last reviewed 2026-08-24

Meanings

The Indian cautionary sign warning of cattle on the carriageway, drawn with a zebu rather than a European cow.

Officially standardisedVerified fact

Warns of cattle on or crossing the carriageway.

Officially standardisedVerified fact

Draws a humped zebu rather than the taurine cow used on European signs, so the same hazard is depicted with the animal actually found on the road.

Confidence

IdentityHigh confidence: High confidence because the identity is defined by a current official standard.
Historical originModerate confidence: Moderate confidence because the historical origin is documented in encyclopedic references, but early or supporting evidence is limited, but the regional or cultural match to this specific claim is not precise.
Current useHigh confidence: High confidence because the current use is defined by a current official standard.
Visual matchHigh confidence: High confidence because the visual match is documented in encyclopedic references.

Sources

Road signs in India
Wikipedia · retrieved 2026-08-25
Tertiary reference. Used for the correspondence between Indian signs and the Vienna Convention families, for statements about multilingual signing practice, and for the history of a sign's adoption. Not used where IRC:67 or the statutory schedule covers the point.
IRC:67, Code of Practice for Road Signs
Indian Roads Congress · retrieved 2026-08-25
The Indian national code of practice for road signs, which defines the mandatory, cautionary and informatory sign families, their shapes, and their meanings. Cited for a sign's identity and defined meaning. Records are descriptive and are not a statement of any road user's legal obligation, which is fixed by the Motor Vehicles Act and its rules.

Last reviewed 2026-08-24