This is the terrifying moment a stray cow charged at a father and son in India.

The pair were walking across the road after shopping at a local market when the aggressive bovine suddenly bolted towards them in Valsad City in Gujarat state on November 16.

Dramatic CCTV footage shows the dad swinging the child out of the way as the cow charged at them from behind. It knocked the man down and tried to trample him before other pedestrians drove it away.

The man was not seriously injured.

Residents said stray cow attacks were a persistent issue in the area, and called on local authorities to address the problem.

India has hundreds of thousands of cows roaming its streets.

It is party due to devout locals who follow Hindu customs, with cows regarded as sacred animals that cannot be eaten or slaughtered once they have stopped producing milk. The majority of states ban the sale or slaughter of cows.

Instead of dealing with the economic burden of keeping their spent cattle, many farmers let the beasts roam the streets - leading to chaos when the animals become agitated and turn their fury on humans.