Injured cow, buffalo or other large animal: what to do
Rescue guide · Last reviewed
Short answer
Large-animal rescue is not the same job as small-animal rescue, and it is worth knowing that before you call. A cow weighs several hundred kilograms. It cannot be carried, it cannot be put in a car, and getting it up needs slings, several trained people and often a vehicle with a ramp or a hoist. The group that would collect an injured pigeon from you within the hour is often not the group that can deal with this.
There is also a real human safety issue that does not arise with a bird or a cat. A downed cow or buffalo trying to stand throws its head and kicks out hard with no aim, and people are seriously injured every year standing in the wrong place while trying to help. Everything below assumes you stay out of that arc.
What to do when you find an injured cow or other large animal
You will need: A phone with a camera and a live-location share · Something to warn traffic — hazard lights, a spare person · Water in a large container, if the animal is conscious
- 1
Stay out of reach of the head and legs
Approach only from behind the shoulder and to the side, never near the head, never behind the hind legs, and never straddle or stand over the animal. A cow or buffalo struggling to rise swings its head hard and kicks without aim. Keep a clear two metres, and keep other people much further.
- 2
Make the spot safe from traffic
A large animal down on a road is a serious hazard to drivers as well as to itself. Put hazard lights on well upstream, get someone warning traffic from a safe position, and at night use a torch or phone light facing oncoming vehicles. Do not try to move the animal to clear the road.
- 3
Clear the crowd
Large animals down on a road draw a crowd fast, and the crowd is usually the reason the animal keeps trying to get up and injuring itself further. Ask people to move well back, and stop anyone pulling the tail, prodding the animal or throwing water at its head — all of which happen and all of which make things worse.
- 4
Call the rescue helpline and the municipal department
Make both calls. Tell them clearly that it is a large animal — cow, buffalo, bullock, horse or donkey — because it determines whether they need a vehicle, a sling and extra people. Give a live location pin, whether the animal is lying down or standing, and whether it is on a carriageway.
- 5
Describe what you can see from a safe distance
Note whether it is trying to get up and failing, whether a leg is at an obviously wrong angle, whether it is bleeding and where, whether it is breathing heavily, and whether there is an owner or herder nearby. Say if it has been down for a long time — hours of lying on one side is itself dangerous for an animal this heavy.
- 6
Offer shade and water, but do not force either
If the animal is conscious and it is safe to do so, put a large container of water within reach of its head without leaning over it, and shade it with a sheet held or propped up if it is in direct sun. Never pour water into the mouth of an animal that is down.
- 7
Find the owner if there is one
Many cattle in a city are owned and may be from a nearby tabela or dairy. Ask locally. An owner can consent to treatment and transport immediately, which often removes the single biggest delay in getting a large animal moved.
Do
- Call both a rescue helpline and the municipal or veterinary department — large animals almost always need both.
- Say 'large animal' at the start of the call so the right equipment comes.
- Approach only from behind the shoulder, to the side, and stay out of kicking range.
- Shade a downed animal that is in direct sun.
- Ask locally whether the animal has an owner or herder.
- Warn traffic from well upstream, especially at night.
Do not
- Do not pull the tail, prod, hit or shout at the animal to make it stand. It is how people are injured and how the animal is injured further.
- Do not stand near the head, over the body, or behind the hind legs.
- Do not try to drag or roll a large animal off a road with a rope or a vehicle.
- Do not pour water into the mouth of a downed animal.
- Do not give any medicine, or any human painkiller.
- Do not let a crowd form around it.
Why a cow that has been down for hours is an emergency
An animal of this weight lying on one side compresses its own muscles and nerves under its bulk, and in cattle that damage becomes permanent surprisingly quickly. An animal that could have stood in the first hour may be unable to stand at all after several, even when the original injury was minor.
So the time the animal went down is genuinely useful information, and worth saying on the phone. If nobody knows, say that too.
Plastic, string and rubbish — the commonest cause
A great many urban cattle cases are not accidents at all. Cows that graze on rubbish swallow plastic bags, string and metal, which accumulate in the rumen and cause slow, worsening illness — a thin animal with a distended belly that has gone off its feed, often for weeks.
This does not look like an emergency and is easy to walk past, but it is treatable when caught. If you regularly see the same cow getting thinner while its belly stays large, report it as a sick animal rather than waiting for it to collapse.
Horses, donkeys and bullocks in harness
A working animal that is injured, lame, or has open harness sores is a case a rescue group will act on. Note the location and the time of day it is usually there, photograph the animal from a distance if you safely can, and report it.
Do not confront a driver or owner. Rescue groups and the local authority have a route for this that does not put you in the middle of an argument, and it works better.
Need a rescuer right now?
Mumbai bird and animal rescue helpline numbers, listed area by area.
Open the rescue helplineFrequently asked
Who do I call for an injured cow in Mumbai?
Call an animal rescue contact for your area from the directory at jinseva.in/helpline and also your municipal or veterinary department, saying clearly that it is a large animal. Cattle cannot be carried in a car and need a sling, several trained people and usually a vehicle with a ramp.
A cow has been hit by a vehicle and cannot get up. What should I do?
Keep everyone well back, warn traffic from upstream, and call both a rescue helpline and the municipal department. Approach only from behind the shoulder and to the side, never near the head or hind legs. Shade it if it is in the sun, put water within reach of its head, and do not try to make it stand.
Is it safe to help a downed cow or buffalo myself?
Not beyond making the spot safe and calling for help. A large animal struggling to rise throws its head and kicks without aim, and people are seriously hurt every year doing exactly this. Keep at least two metres clear, stay out of the kicking arc, and wait for a team with a sling.
Why should a cow not be left lying down for a long time?
Its own weight compresses the muscles and nerves underneath, and in cattle that damage can become permanent within hours. An animal that could have stood early on may be unable to stand later even when the original injury was minor, so the time it went down is important information for the team.
A street cow is getting thinner but its stomach looks swollen. What is wrong?
That pattern commonly means swallowed plastic, string and rubbish accumulating in the rumen, which causes slow worsening illness and is very common in urban cattle. It is treatable when caught early. Report it as a sick animal rather than waiting for the cow to collapse.
Should I try to move a cow off the road?
No. Do not drag, roll or rope a large animal, and do not pull it with a vehicle — you will cause serious additional injury and put yourself in danger. Warn traffic from well upstream instead, keep the crowd back, and wait for a team with the right equipment.
This guide covers containment and transport first aid only — the same advice rescue groups give over the phone. It is not veterinary treatment and does not replace a vet. Any injured, sick or orphaned wild animal should be handed to a registered rescue group or a veterinarian as soon as possible.