A 1,600-pound cow in northern Spain was airlifted to safety after a leg injury left it stranded in a ravine, according to Need To Know.
Video shared by Need To Know shows the cow secured in a sling and carried below the aircraft over the Gistau Valley in Plan, Spain.
Here's what to know
After injuring a leg, the cow couldn't make its way out of the remote area on its own. Its farmer spent several days trying to move it before turning to Air Lama Helicopters, a company that specializes in external-load operations.
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Pilot David Garcés said this type of rescue actually isn't a rare occurrence at all.
"It's relatively common," he said.
Garcés said many livestock farms are in mountain pastures that vehicles cannot reach.
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When the pilots arrived, the cow had already been stranded for several days. Garcés said the animal could still stand, but it would not walk because the injured leg was causing pain.
"It could have walked out on its own if it had been well, but it was in a little bit of pain and didn't want to walk. So there was no other way," Garcés said.
The crew fastened the cow beneath the helicopter and flew it out of the ravine to safety without incident.
More background
The footage later was posted on social media on Wednesday, Aug. 26.
Garcés said the cow's size was not the main obstacle. He said the aircraft involved was rated to lift as much as 2,315 pounds, putting the animal's roughly 1,600-pound weight within capacity.
He said the bigger challenge was keeping the cow calm. He added that cows are given a light sedative during these rescues so they can be moved more safely.
Where can I learn more?
The helicopter rescue in Spain is one example of the help animals need when they are trapped or injured in unusual predicaments. Other coverage includes emergency surgery for cows that swallowed plastic, difficult wildlife recoveries, and rescue work that relies on aerial technology.
• In India, veterinarians found 35 kilograms of plastic inside a 12-year-old pregnant cow.
• Also in India, surgeons removed a mass of plastic from a suffering cow's stomach.
• San Dimas firefighters completed an urgent rescue operation for an owl dangling 50 feet up.
• A group of bikers rescued a fox after finding it tangled in barbed wire.
• In farm fields, drone pilots used aerial drones to save young animals from mowing equipment.
Animal emergencies can call for all kinds of responses, from sedation and surgery to helicopters and drones. When injury, rough terrain, or human-made hazards leave an animal trapped, specialized rescuers can become essential quickly.
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