Stranded quake cows rescued in New Zealand
Wellington - Three cows stranded on a small patch of grass after Monday's 7.5 magnitude earthquake in New Zealand have been rescued, local media reported Tuesday.
The cows became an Internet sensation after becoming trapped on a small grassy island by landslides near Kaikoura, one of the areas worst affected by the earthquake.
The owner of the cows told New Zealand news service Newshub that he and a group of others had rescued two cows and a calf by digging a track to the quake island with picks and shovels.
"The problem was we weren't sure if there was going to be another earthquake and we weren't sure if it was going to continue to slide -that's why we delayed going in," the farmer said.
"It wasn't because we didn't want to do it."
The farmer said the cows were part of a larger group of 14 rescued animals from the property.
"They desperately needed water so that was the first requirement, and I think one or two had lost calves in the earthquake so they were a bit distressed."
Newshub camera operator Chris Jones, who filmed the cows from a helicopter, said the animals had obviously ridden the island down the landslide.
The farmer said the cows had been lucky to survive after the entire hillside collapsed.