Cow leaps three foot fence and squashes car

Motorist Robert Gould is lucky to be alive after a startled cow leapt over a three-foot fence and landed on his car.

The frightened Friesian has written off Robert's Citroen C5 after denting the bonnet and breaking a wheel after bounding onto the busy road.

Stunned police later breath-tested Robert after he called 999 to report the collision.

It is understood the cow which died at the scene had been trying to escape from a farmer when it jumped into the road on the outskirts of Leek, Staffs.

Robert escaped with cuts and bruises despite skidding almost 80 yards and ending up on the wrong side of the road as he tried to stop.

The 24-year-old said: "I am now looking out for low-flying cows when I am driving ."

House-hunter Robert was travelling at 60mph and had been on his way to view a property in Cheddleton at the time of the accident in Macclesfield Road.

Safety officer Robert, of Barlaston, Staffs, said: "I was driving along when a cow jumped out and landed on my bonnet.

"It had hurdled a three-foot high fence and hit the front of my car.

"I had no time to brake and my car veered to the other side of the road.

"I was very lucky that nothing was coming in the opposite direction.

"The police were very nice about everything, although I don't think they could quite believe it either.
"They breath-tested me which came back negative."

Dad Chris, aged 53, said: "To see a cow flying over the top of the car made Robert jump and it has left him in shock. It was a good job the road was not busy at the time."

The dead cow was later removed by a digger.

Bob Lee, who retired from Staffordshire Ambulance Service after 30 years dealing with emergencies, said: "I have heard of someone being trampled by a cow, but never a cow jumping over a fence and landing on a car."

Farmer Clive Langford-Mycock believes the cow must have been very frightened to have jumped the fence during last weekend's incident.

The farmer, a former Staffordshire National Farmers' Union chairman, said: "Accidents involving farm animals are very rare.

"Something must have happened to frighten the cow. Possible causes could be thunder or lightning, low-flying aircraft or one of those stupid Chinese lanterns.

"I hope the driver gets over it."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/8695400/Cow-leaps-three-foot-fence-and-squashes-car.html

Injured Bald Eagle Gets Mouth-to-Beak CPR

Raptor, Newly Named 'Patriot,' Doing Better; Fate Uncertain

By Barney Lerten, KTVZ.COM

BEND, Ore. -- He’s still not out of the woods, so to speak, but a badly injured bald eagle is still recovering well, a Bend veterinarian said Friday – despite a scare two days ago in which he had to perform mouth-to-beak CPR on the raptor, newly named “Patriot.”

Two La Pine women found the bald eagle, apparently hit by a car, near Crane Prairie Reservoir last month. Three weeks later, about halfway through a hoped-for recovery period, the bird’s fractured wing is healing, as is his dislocated elbow and wrist, said Dr. Jeff Cooney of Bend Veterinary Clinic.

After a contest in which NewsChannel 21 assisted, the eagle has been named Patriot – quite fitting for America’s national symbol. More than 20 names were submitted, from “Spirit” to “Bend Franklin,” and while it was close, “Patriot” received the highest number of votes, Cooney said.

“He has gained 10 percent of his body weight and is eating fish like crazy,” Cooney said Friday. “His attitude is greatly improved, and he’s starting to act like a normal, rambunctious bald eagle.”

But there are still worrisome signs.

“The dislocated shoulder and his paralyzed right leg are his major problems right now,” Cooney said.

Then there was the frightening moment during Wednesday’s exam and physical therapy when, under anesthesia, Patriot stopped breathing.

Cooney stepped in and performed “mouth to beak” resuscitation to get the bird breathing again.

Still, at this point, Cooney says he’s not sure Patriot will ever be able to return to the wild.

And if he’s unable to fully recovery, Cooney said they could be forced to euthanize him, rather than continue living in pain.

“I kind of like the guy,” the vet said. “If he could get his foot back, a little better,” the odds would improve markedly, thus a protective blue “bootie” that completed a red, white and blue outfit, only fitting.

But “his shoulder is really badly damaged,” Cooney said. “It’s not a surgical repair, so if he was going to live forever in pain from the shoulder injury, I’d have to euthanize him.”

The next three weeks should tell the tale.

“If he could live, any facility (for raptors) would like to have him,” Cooney said. “He was just hurt so bad.”

http://www.ktvz.com/news/28568847/detail.html