What A Bunch of Silly Moos

SOMETIMES truth is stranger than fiction which is what firemen in the Belgian town of Diksmuide thought when they received an unusual report.

A herd of cows had decided that as the weather was so warm and the fence between their pasture and the River Uzer just happened to have fallen down, it would be a good idea for them to cool down.

According to a passer by who spotted the cows having a paddle, they seemed quite comfortable but having got into the river, they looked as if they would be unable to climb out.

More used to saving cats stuck up trees, the firemen duly attended and tried a number of ways to persuade the cows that it was time to go home, but not built to climb, the silly cows were not going to get back to dry land in a hurry.

Speaking to VTR News, Kristof Louagie of Westhoek Fire Service explained “It soon became clear that the cows would not come out of the water unaided. We called in reinforcements from the service’s special animal rescue team

“Using a motorboat, firefighters in wading suits tried to get closer to the animals. They also tried to hoist the animals onto dry land with a special hook arm and straps. But even this proved unsuccessful.

“Finally, a trench was dug on the bank using an excavator and with some encouragement the cows were able climb out of the river under their own steam.”

View a video at https://twitter.com/i/status/1673992693406375936 to see the sterling work undertaken by the local fire brigade.

None the worse for their adventure, the cows were back in time for milking but this was the second time that this great escape had occurred and the farmer has been ordered to repair the fence properly in order to ensure that this does not become a regular occurrence as it certainly isn’t good for the quality of the river and its environment.