Cow falls 40ft and then swims to The Rumps Published duration 20 March 2017

media caption A pregnant cow has been rescued after falling down a 40ft cliff and then swimming to an "isolated island"

A pregnant cow has been rescued after falling down a 40ft cliff and then swimming to an "isolated island".

The cow spent a night down on the rocks before being sedated at The Rumps, near Polzeath, Cornwall.

After a nine-hour rescue, the rare White Park cow was winched back up to the top of the cliff at 16:30 GMT on Sunday.

"Despite her ordeal she is now back happily grazing in the field," Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service said.

image copyright Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service image caption The White Park cow was sedated and put into an animal rescue harness

The rescue began on Saturday afternoon but was stopped due to the rising tide and fading light, and began again on Sunday morning.

"The incident was made extremely difficult as the cow swam to an isolated island where she was out of reach of the emergency services," Wadebridge Community Fire Station said.

A vet and rifleman sedated the cow, before she was put into an animal rescue harness and brought back to the top of the cliff.

image copyright Damion Gough image caption The cow was winched to safety

Specialist animal rescue crews from Bodmin Community Fire Station and further crews from Wadebridge were assisted by Padstow Lifeboat and Polzeath Coastguard.

The cow was left in the care of a vet and the farmer, the fire service said.