Rescue operation for cow Flocke: fire brigade and Bundeswehr in action!

Rescue operation for cow Flocke: fire brigade and Bundeswehr in action!

On April 15, 2025, a dramatic animal rescue was launched near the Unstrut cycle path near Etzleben in the Kyffhäuserkreis. An attentive citizen had discovered a cow that had sunk in the river Lossa. He then informed the Kyffhäuser police inspection, which reacted quickly and found the owner of the animal.

The police officers first took care of the cow to prevent another sinking. Despite the first attempts to rescue, which were unsuccessful, further forces were quickly mobilized. In addition to the police, the fire brigade, the animal owner and soldiers of the Bundeswehr from Bad Frankenhausen were also on site to develop a rescue plan for the cow, which was called "Flocke".

animal rescue in use

The rescue workers laid animal rescue straps around the cow to safely raise them out of the water. A Bundeswehr telescopic loader was used and made it possible to put Flocke intact on solid ground. All those involved in the rescue campaign were very satisfied with the cooperative approach.

After the successful rescue, the fire brigade cleaned the fur of the Schlick cow before handing it back to their owner. While the exact circumstances of how the cow could leave the pasture, this incident shows the importance of well -planned and coordinated animal rescue measures.

The context of animal rescue in Germany

The situation around Flockes Rescue not only illustrates speed and efficiency in emergencies, but also shows the challenges of animal rescue in Germany. Although some professional fire brigades have trained personnel and specific vehicles for animal use, nationwide animal rescue units in fire departments are the exception. Rather, animal rescue organizations are often the first contacts when it comes to rescue animals, and work with local fire brigades and other emergency services.

An example of this is the Animal rescue Essen e.V., which is active around the clock and carries out over 300 missions every year. Specialized organizations such as the animal rescue in Heilbronn have also specialized in helping animals in need. Such organizations are also actively involved in advertising new members and offering first aid courses for animal owners in order to further professionalize animal rescue itself.

In the currently increasingly challenging landscape of animal rescue, the cooperation between the fire brigade, animal rescue organizations and the police remains of essential importance. Exactly such rescue actions such as those of Flocke help to raise awareness of animal rescue in general and to strengthen the communities.

Further information about the animal rescue is available from Federal Association of German Tier rescue services e.V.

For more details about the incident at Etzleben, read the article at Fireworld .