Here at Little Things, we just adore people who go above and beyond for the animals in their lives. Human beings who take care of animals are often tremendously empathetic, and we love to support their good work!
In a particularly challenging week marked by the death of a beloved wild animal, it is doubly gratifying to know how many wonderful people are out there protecting creatures as small as these orphaned hedgehogs and as large as…well…a flying cow.
Yes, this video depicts a fairly common practice in Switzerland: transporting cows by helicopter. When I first watched this video, I was a bit shocked at the sight of a cow hoisted into the air by its midriff.
Surely, I thought, this can’t be comfortable for the animal. But as I read more about the practice, I learned that it’s actually the height of good animal husbandry. Pun definitely intended.
In Switzerland, a mountainous country with a long history of dairy farming, it is fairly common for cows to become stranded in a remote area. In this case, the cow injured her foot in a high-altitude pasture, and the farmers determined that it would be too painful to make her walk down the mountainside.
Instead, they strapped her into a secure harness, and had her lifted to a lower elevation by helicopter. In other words, the farmers essentially replicated a James Bond movie to keep their cow from experiencing further pain.
Now, if that isn’t an example of next-level animal care, I don’t know what is!
Please SHARE if you were impressed by this flying cow and her exceptionally thoughtful humans!
