Bull Fridolin
slipped into the slurry pit
From the perspective of an Aiderbichler
(written by Gisela Pschenitschnig)
Fridolin, a young bull aged around 12 months, fell unobserved into a manure chute. The wooden cover must have shifted so that Fridolin fell into the shaft and was standing up to his neck in the slurry.
The incident took place at a small sanctuary where people look after animals from emergency situations, war zones and crisis areas. The aim of this farm is to facilitate understanding between people and animals in a protected environment.
"Something's not right today ..."
The farmer sensed that something was different. He heard a calf crying, which was not unusual. However, the cry was not coming from the barn or the pasture, but from below. He couldn’t believe his eyes when he discovered Fridolin mooing for help in the manure stall.
Manure develops hazardous gases. Hydrogen sulphide gas is produced. This gas, in turn, is a nerve gas and can paralyse breathing and cause the heart to fail. The farmer immediately called the professional fire brigade, which arrived at lightning speed. Wearing heavy breathing apparatus, the men climbed into the shaft to rescue the 300kg Fridolin from his appalling situation as quickly as possible. The slurry was extracted and fans were used to remove the toxic gases from the shaft.
Fridolin was given a light anaesthetic so that he would not be injured during the rescue. A telescopic handler was used to get the injured bull out of the pit.
Cleaned up and ready to go, Fridolin was soon hopping around the yard again
After being rescued by the fire brigade, Fridolin was rinsed with plenty of warm water and then rubbed dry with straw. After all the efforts of the dangerous excursion into the manure pit, Fridolin put up with everything.
“I actually just wanted to take a walk around the courtyard and see what was going on. Suddenly I found myself in some foul-smelling broth. I don’t know how I managed to slip through the opening. My stomach isn’t that small after all. But well, there I was, not knowing how to get out of this hole.
For safety’s sake, I started shouting as loud as I could. At some point, the farmer arrived. His breath stopped for a moment when he saw me. Maybe because it smelt so bad? Well, now I’ve been rescued, washed and dried and I smell like clean fur again. All is well! By the way, I’ve also got a new forever home. It’s really great here…”.
Fridolin was given away with a heavy heart
With a heavy heart, a new place was sought for Fridolin for life, as the small farm was expecting a new, rescued bull.
Fridolin was given a cosy and loving welcome in the herd of cattle at Gut Aiderbichl Iffeldorf. He loves the pastures and the barn, so to speak: all’s well that ends well!
If you think you're too small to make a difference, try sleeping when there's a mosquito in the room.
– Dalai Lama
No effort is too great to help an animal. No effort was spared to help Fridolin out of his stinking pit. And that’s a good thing, because: Animals are our fellow creatures and are worth at least as much as human life. Herzlichst, Ihre Gisela
Pictures of the rescue © Hunding fire brigade
