Ahmedabad: It took bedsheets, a fire team and 45 minutes of patience to get three cows down a staircase in Ghuma on Sunday. Fire and Emergency Services personnel were called in after the owner of three Punganur dwarf cows — a special breed from Andhra Pradesh — found himself unable to coax them down from the third floor of his bungalow, where he had moved them during last week’s heavy rain as their usual shed had become waterlogged.Bhatt said, “As it was raining heavily, we decided to shift the three-year-old cows from our gaushala to the third floor of our house. When we tried to walk them down, the cows became jittery. So, we asked the authorities to help us.”Pungalur cows, measuring about 70-90cm in height and weighing around 200kg, are among the smallest cattle breeds in the world.“After the rain stopped and the water receded, the owner wanted to move the animals back to the parking lot. However, he was concerned that the cows could be injured while descending the narrow staircase and did not want to force or hurt them,” an AFES officer said.Officials said Bhatt approached joint commissioner of police Neeraj Badgujar for help, after which Ahmedabad divisional chief fire officer Swastik Jadeja directed a fire team to the spot.“The rescue team, led by fire officer Hitubha Gadhvi, assessed the staircase before beginning the operation. Bedsheets were spread across the steps to provide better grip and prevent the animals from slipping,” Gadhvi said.“The priority was to ensure that all three cows came down without injury. Fire personnel guided them one at a time and kept them calm throughout the operation,” Gadhvi added.According to AFES, the evacuation took about 45 minutes and all three cows were safely brought to the parking area. A video of the operation circulated on social media, showing Gadhvi reassuring the owner that the animals would be brought down safely. “The operation was completed without any injury to the animals or the rescue personnel,” Gadhvi said.
