Story By: Kathryn Quinn, Sub Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Central European News

This is the moment a cow which had just slipped down an embankment after giving birth is airlifted to safety by a helicopter.

The cow, named Elly, was looking for a quiet place to give birth in her field in Belp, a municipality in the Bern-Mittelland administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland when she went into labour.

The cow found a place at the edge of the field under a tree. But just after giving birth Elly, who was reportedly weakened after the birth slipped down an embankment landing in the ditch below and was unable to get out.

The unnamed farmer discovered the calf alone in the field and then found the mother in the ditch so he called the fire service and took the calf inside to keep it warm.

The rescue was more difficult than they thought as Elly was weak after giving birth and even with the firemen’s help the cow was unable to get back up the bank.

Bern fire service spokesman Franz Marki said: “We decided we would try and make the cow comfortable for the night in the ditch. We got plenty of straw, food and water.

“The farmer looked after Elly throughout the night.”

The next morning Elly was then rescued with the help of a helicopter and taken directly to her calf in the barn.

In the video, the firefighters can be seen strapping the harness around the cow but it is lifted into the air by the helicopter before being safely dropped in a field.

Marki said: “There was a happy end to the story, both mum and baby are well following the rescue.”

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