Farmers saddened by end to week-long search for Coco the cow
CBC News | Posted: November 21, 2018 11:30 AM | Last Updated: November 21, 2018
They tried to tranquilize her, but Coco the cow ultimately had to be put down
The tale of Coco the cow, the wandering bovine who jumped her fence in Conception Bay South before spending a week on the lam, has come to an unfortunate end after the animal had to be put down.
"It was really hard. It was something that we reared," said Louise Scott, who owned the 1,000-pound Coco with her husband Barry.
"At least, I know where she's to and she's not going to hurt anyone else."
On Nov. 8, the black Angus and another of the Scott's cows were out in the field when Coco refused to come in the barn for supper. She hopped the fence in one clean jump.
After searching for a week, Barry Scott received a call from someone who spotted Coco in their backyard.
"I wanted to tranquilize her — get a rope on her so I could bring her back in the barn," Barry Scott said.
"But it never worked out that way. So the story went downhill from there."
Looking for a new cow
Officials with wildlife put two tranquilizer darts in Coco, he said, but she wasn't going down.
"The vet said [the two darts] would put down two moose, and she didn't even [slow down]," Barry Scott said, adding she travelled through the woods and down a trail before wildlife told the Scotts they'd have to put her down.
Barry Scott said the meat wasn't able to be salvaged because of the tranquilizing darts.
The couple, who say they received a lot of unfounded flak on social media after Coco went missing, are still scratching their heads as to why she wouldn't come home.
"Maybe when she got out loose and all the people and cars around … she might have snapped. But I can't say."
The Scotts say they will be looking for a new cow after Christmas.