Letting cows roam and graze as they please is usually good for them, but it can become dangerous when plastic pollution litters the ground.
Veterinarians in India learned this the hard way as they tried to save one cow's life.
What's happening?
As Herald Goa reported, people in Valpoi, India, spotted a roaming cow that was in clear pain.
Doctors Siddesh Pednekar and Raghunath Dhuri, two local veterinarians, stepped in to help.
After inspecting the ailing animal, they agreed it had likely eaten something harmful. That meant immediate surgery was necessary.
Their suspicions were confirmed once they opened up the cow's stomach. The poor animal had swallowed over 33 pounds of plastic waste that was now stuck in its intestines, according to Herald Goa.
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"Shame on humans!" one person commented on an Instagram post about the incident.
"The government should take note," another added.
Luckily, the team of doctors carefully removed the blockage, and the cow survived.
Why is plastic pollution concerning?
People are not going around taking bites out of plastic. Yet the same high levels of plastic pollution that sent this cow to the operating room also pose a problem for humans.
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Absolutely ✅ As those materials break down, tiny microplastics are working their way into our food and bodies at an alarming rate — and scientists are only beginning to understand the full health impacts.
Plus, medical help is often not available for wildlife so quickly. The outcome in this case was a good one, but many cows, birds, turtles, and other species have lost their lives after ingesting large quantities of human plastic garbage. Their wider ecosystems can be thrown out of balance as a result.
What can be done to protect humans and animals from plastic?
This surprising success story highlights the importance of veterinary services, as well as supporting cattle shelters in India called gaushalas.
Most of all, it shows how much plastic ends up out in the world and how urgent it is to reduce our reliance on those products.
That means better regulations and corporate responsibility, but it also comes down to individuals choosing alternatives to plastic that are reusable, cheaper, and safer for everybody.
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