Crafty calf nabbed after spending 2 weeks on the lam in Stewiacke

A "crafty" calf is no longer on the move in Stewiacke, N.S.

Sky, an eight-month-old, 225-kilogram black and white Simmental cross, escaped Feb. 13. Her owners confirmed she was finally caught on Tuesday after being on the loose for 16 days.

"She is finally home, in her stall in our barn,"  Kristen Battiste, who co-owns the calf with her father and her fiancé, told CBC News. "In the area she was in, there was lots of coyote tracks and different things, so we were worried about her safety."

Battiste said she found out about Sky's return when she was at work. She said the calf looks healthy and uninjured.

"My phone was buzzing off saying she was finally home in the barn. My mom had sent me pictures. It has been absolutely amazing to see her there," she said.

Battiste said she doesn't yet know how Sky was captured. She said her two-year-old son is especially happy to see the calf again.

Community support

"It's really his cow. He loves her. He named her Sky after the Paw Patrol character," she said.

Battiste credits the community for helping to bring Sky home. She said they even used drone video in the push to locate her, which helped keep the searchers going.

"People have been supportive, people have been checking in, we've been getting texts, calls and emails. We even get called out in the grocery store to see if she's ok. So getting her home for the community and with the help of the community has been amazing," Battiste said, adding Sky would be getting extra treats today.

In an interview with Maritime Noon on Monday, Battiste said Sky was "really living her best life" while on the lam.

"We would just prefer her to live her best life at home instead of out in a field, but hopefully we'll get her back," she said in the interview.

Battiste said she and her father were out every weekday evening and all weekend to track down Sky. Friends and strangers also helped, including kids from the local elementary school who sent out a search team during their gym class.

When they eventually found her, the logistics of catching her were complex. Sky was in a field that Battiste didn't own, and there was a wooded area nearby where the calf could hide quickly.

Battiste said people in the community offered suggestions and help to get her home, like using herding dogs.

A cowboy tried to get a rope around Sky's foot over the weekend but was unsuccessful, Battiste said. She said he didn't have his horse, so he had been considering trying again later.

"He spent five hours out with us," Battiste said.

Talk of the town

Another person suggested a tranquilizer dart but that option was too pricey, Battiste said.

Sky's escape was the talk of the town, she said.

"Every time we go somewhere, people recognize our faces from Facebook because we have been keeping them updated in our chat. They recognize us at the grocery store, at the gas station, and are always asking for updates," she said.

"We have been trying to keep people updated as much as possible. It's been a great kind of community involvement project because everyone is really involved and really wanted to come home safe."