Posted on 01/06/2006 3:38:26 PM PST by Redcitizen
GREAT FALLS, Mont. - 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.
Eat steak, eat steak eat a big ol' steer
Eat steak, eat steak do we have one dear?
Eat beef, eat beef it's a mighty good food
It's a grade A meal when I'm in the mood.
Cowpokes'll come from a near and far
When you throw a few rib-eyes on the fire
Roberto Duran ate two before a fight
'Cause it gave a lot of mighty men a lot of mighty might
Eat steak, eat steak eat a big ol' steer
Eat steak, eat steak do we have one dear?
Eat beef, eat beef it's a mighty good food
It's a grade A meal when I'm in the mood.
Eat meat, eat meat, filet mignon
Eat meat, eat meat, ear it all day long
Eat a few T-bones till you get your fill
Eat a new york cut, hot off the grill
Eat steak, eat steak eat a big ol' steer
Eat steak, eat steak do we have one dear?
Eat beef, eat beef it's a mighty good food
It's a grade A meal when I'm in the mood.
Eat a cow, eat a cow 'cuase it's good for you
Eat a cow, eat a cow it's the thing that goes "Mooooo"
Look at all the cows in the slaughterhouse yeard
Gotta hit'em in the head, gotta hit'em real hard
First you gotta clean'em then the butcher cuts'em up
Throws it on a scale throws an eyeball in a cup
Saw a big Brangus Steer standing right over there
So I rustled up a fire cooked him medium rare
Bar-B-Q'ed his brisket, a roasted his rump
Fed my dog that ol' Brangus Steer's hump
Eat steak, eat steak eat a big ol' steer
Eat steak, eat steak do we have one dear?
Eat beef, eat beef it's a mighty good food
It's a grade A meal when I'm in the mood.
Words & music by Reverend Horton Heat
Hopefully someone will buy her , to do movies, chase coyotes or something:')
Run, Forrest, run!
Lucky her... she appears to have earned herself a life :~D
Suprised a LEO didn't shoot it....serious hazard to traffic if the vehicles couldn't be stopped aka the suburban almost hitting it......
That heifer is lucky.......I think patton dated her !.....:o)
If he makes it to the highway, he should go free!"
Grew up in the city didn't ya?
Kind of ironic. Most Ameicans eat beef but we cherish freedom even more.
Cows With Guns
http://www.3dweb.no/galleri/stuestolbm/bilder/anim1.swf
That's a really good way to put it :~D
Bump for later!
You don't eat a cow like that all at once....
Go ahead and let it cross the fenceline! It just wants to do the grazing that other cows don't want to do!
And the ones that are too slow to work at the DMV get jobs at Ross.
Any cow that completes the confidence course should graduate to the race track!
He's earned his freedom
By the way, a heifer is a young GIRL cow that has not had a calf yet.
Can you tell I'm not a farmer? And for shame, hubby teaches at an agricultural college! Not bovine science, though! Thanks for the correction.
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