A Woodville man fought for his life after being "maliciously" gored in an attack by a cattle beast.

Emergency services were called to a lifestyle block just outside Palmerston North about 1.45pm yesterday. The 61-year-old, who suffered neck and stomach injuries, was stabilised by ambulance staff before being flown to Palmerston North Hospital in a critical condition.

He was this morning reported as being in a stable condition.

Palmerston North rescue helicopter pilot Chris Moody said two people who witnessed the attack described the longhorn cattle beast repeatedly lifting the man from the ground during the attack.

"This chap was engaged in moving the beast and, by all accounts, it was pretty agitated at the time and he's certainly come off worse for wear."

Injuries caused by livestock were not uncommon, but they were usually accidental, he said. This one had "quite maliciously taken the farmer out".

In June, Upper Hutt man John Leitner, 80, spent six weeks in hospital after being set upon by an angry half-tonne aberdeen angus-cross on his Masterton farm.

During the trampling and mauling, Leitner suffered serious injuries to his head and chest including a punctured lung, fractured sternum and six shattered ribs. He was hit from behind while loading bulls on to a truck bound for a Taranaki works.

Truckie Marcus Thompson and another farmer launched themselves at the enraged bull, punching and kicking it until they managed to get the beast into a paddock. The bull ran through three wire fences, charged two police cars and an ambulance, and rammed into Leitner's car. It took four bullets to kill it.