Calf no longer a stick in the mud thanks to team of firefighters
More than 10 firefighters spent two hours saving a calf from thick mud in Sydney’s west as crew members waded waist deep into the sludge on Wednesday.
The cow wandered into a dam on Mamre Road in Kemps Creek about 6pm before becoming mired in mud up to its nose.
A neighbour alerted the RSPCA which requested the assistance of firefighters.
Three NSW Fire and Rescue crews and the NSW Rural Fire Service trudged through more than 350 metres of paddock with their heavy equipment and lighting to reach the animal.
After the boggy trek, crews spent more than two hours freeing the calf from the thick mud.
Rescuers placed slings around the calf’s legs and a slide board underneath it, wrangling the animal to steer it towards a nearby paddock.
Photos show crew members getting up to their waist in mud while large groups of rescuers surround the scene.
One of the on-call firefighters was a veterinary nurse and supported the calf’s welfare alongside staff from Uni Vets Camden, who provided drips and medication.
NSW Fire and Rescue Superintendent Adam Dewberry said having to rescue a calf was a common situation for farmers and rescuers.
“It’s the second cow we pulled out from a precarious position in a day. On Tuesday ... it was Fire Rescue and SES pulling a cow out of the South Creek in Windsor,” he said. “It happens more than you’d realise.”
The calf rescued in Kemps Creek is being monitored by the RSPCA and local vets for its wellbeing.
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