WHO DAIRY WINS: Special-Forces-Style Rescue For Cow Trapped On Cliff
This is the moment a cow weighing over half a tonne is rescued from the bottom of a cliff after slipping off while grazing.
But the scene – in northern Spain – was more like a special-forces operation than a vet rescue.
Experts had judged it was impossible to simply lead the cow to safety.
So firefighters and a vet had to get down to the bottom of the drop, where they sedated the cow and wrapped it in a sling net.
Then a medevac helicopter was dispatched to winch the stricken beast to safety.
Amazingly, the cow had suffered only minor injuries in the fall in Ruiloba, in the Cantabria region, on 1st August.
The emergency services in Cantabria said in a statement on Tuesday: “A helicopter and firefighters rescue a cow that fell off a cliff in Ruiloba.
“We received the notice last night and mobilised the fire department to assess the situation.
“The owner is informed that the rescue is not possible at this time and will be attempted during daylight.
“In the early morning we return to the site to evaluate the area and the technical requirements.
“Due to the impossibility of evacuating her by any other means, it was decided to evacuate her by air, the only way to take her to a safe area and save her life.
“Rescue technicians and firefighters prepare the area for the helicopter, and access to a veterinarian is facilitated to proceed with the sedation of the animal.
“With the aircraft in place, the animal is secured in the net and the evacuation operation begins.
“Workers on the ground guide the hoisting so the animal does not hit the rocks.
“The cow has been left by the helicopter team in a safe area and has only minor injuries.
“If the evacuation were not carried out, the animal would not be able to leave the place or survive in the narrow point where it was found, also giving rise to a health problem.”