Stray cows or stray cattle are animals such as cows, bulls, oxen and buffaloes that roam freely. A cow is considered "stray" when its owner no longer claims ownership or its owner cannot be determined. Cow slaughter is banned in many places in India with penalties of long imprisonment and huge fines. Fear of arrest, persecution, and lynching by cow vigilantes has reduced the trading of cows. Once a cow stops giving milk, feeding and maintenance of the cow becomes a financial burden on the farmer who cannot afford their upkeep. Cattle that farmers are unable to sell are eventually abandoned.