Cow Escapes Meat Plant, Dodges SUV, Train

[aKho]

GREAT FALLS, Mont. (AP) - A cow that escaped a slaughterhouse dodged vehicles, ran in front of a train, braved the icy Missouri River and took three tranquilizer darts before being recaptured six hours later. News of the heifer's adventures prompted a number of people to offer to buy the animal.

The black, 1,200 pound heifer jumped a gate at the packing plant at around 5 a.m. Thursday and apparently wandered through residential areas. Police received reports at about 9:30 a.m. that it was in the middle of a busy intersection.

Police tried to catch the cow, and had her wedged between a stock trailer and a fence, but the heifer barreled through the fence toward the river, nearly being hit by a Chevrolet Suburban.

It was the first of many near-death experiences.

With the police in pursuit, the cow ran toward the railroad tracks and darted in front of an oncoming locomotive, briefly giving the police the slip again.

Crossing another road, the cow was nearly struck by a semi tractor-trailer.

"By then it was a madhouse," said police officer Corey Reeves. "People were coming out of the woodwork to see."

When police, animal control officers and slaughterhouse workers surrounded the cow in a park near the Missouri River, the cow jumped into the icy water.

As she swam to the west bank of the river, Reeves said she sank lower in the water and was being swept downstream. But the cow found a sandbar near the river's west bank and walked to shore.

"I was totally amazed she was able to swim the river," said Del Morris, the slaughterhouse manager.

As police scrambled to head off the cow on the other side of the river, a veterinarian with a tranquilizer gun was called.

Pursuers again believed they had the cow cornered at a chain link fence, but the heifer ran through a perimeter set up by officials.

The chase began to slow as the cow ran up against several strong fences. Dr. Jennifer Evans of Big Sky Medical Center shot the cow with a tranquilizer dart.

It had little effect.

Two darts later, the heifer showed no signs of going down. Slaughterhouse workers created a makeshift pen with metal panels that led to a stock trailer.

The heifer walked into the trailer at 11:45 a.m.

The cow was taken back to the slaughterhouse, where it was put in a pen - with a stronger fence - and given food and water.

that's a very determined cow. let it live!

source : http://apnews.myway.com/article/20060107/D8EVJCF02.html

[Domster]

Ha, it would be nearly unbelievable except I've worked in slaughterhouse and have seen a few hair-raising incidents meself.

I saw a farmer get mowed down by one of his own bulls as he was offloading it into the Lairage(dodgy spelling). He was relatively unharmed but the bull went nuts. Chased after the slaughterhouse manager, out the gate, down the road, over a bridge, past the Presentation Convent School for girls, there had been a really bad flood that winter and a stone wall running along the side of a field near the school had collapsed, so in runs Simon and up a tree. Never seen him move so fast before in all my life!! The bull head-butting the tree below him. Back in them days, they didn't bother with tranquilisers. Out with da rifle and shot him in the head. When the farmer woke up he didn't know who he was!! Total amnesia. He recovered though.

Or another time, same bloody slaughterhouse manager and yet another bull. A Fresian bull. Vicious bastards. Offloading him off the truck but was the gate closed?? My ass!!! He did a runner but instead of headin' for the bridge and the girls school, he hung a left towards the center of town!!! Straight down Irish town, under the West Gate!! O'Connell St, I mean, right through the center of town with everyone out doin' their shoppin'. He ends up cornered behind Dunnes Stores( a shopping center on the edge of town. No rifle this time. Managed to get him onto the back of a truck and back to the factory. Crazy stuff though!!

[Adrian Wong]

LOL!!! That's pretty hilarious.

Kinda like the bovine version of Chicken Run.

LOL!! Domster, is it so common? Don't you have electric prods or something?

[Domster]

Do ya really think a little electric prod is gonna stop a bull who knows he's about to die and that weighs nearly a ton from running out an open gate??

It's not so common anymore. I'm talkin' 15 years ago. I think we got electric prods first in '94-'95. And we had an idiot for a manager. My Da took over then and there haven't been any incidents since. Well, no incidents outside the factory walls. The gate was always shut.

I actually saw a guy prod himself with one of those prods shortly after they were given to us. Knocked him clean out. Thought he was dead!! His body was shakin' and everythin'. He recovered though. You do get some real idiots workin' in places like that.

[Adrian Wong]

Originally Posted by Domster

Do ya really think a little electric prod is gonna stop a bull who knows he's about to die and that weighs nearly a ton from running out an open gate??

It's not so common anymore. I'm talkin' 15 years ago. I think we got electric prods first in '94-'95. And we had an idiot for a manager. My Da took over then and there haven't been any incidents since. Well, no incidents outside the factory walls. The gate was always shut.

I actually saw a guy prod himself with one of those prods shortly after they were given to us. Knocked him clean out. Thought he was dead!! His body was shakin' and everythin'. He recovered though. You do get some real idiots workin' in places like that.

ROTFL!!! I can't believe he actually did that! Must be a real joker.