Cow Missing For 2 Months Rescued From Haddam Culvert

HADDAM, CT — Firefighters helped rescue a 5-year-old cow trapped in a culvert near the Middletown/Higganum line, according to a Facebook post from the Haddam Volunteer Fire Company.

A Middletown resident spotted the cow on Saturday and notified the Middletown Police Department.

The cow turned out to be Blossom, who escaped her pasture two months ago from a farm on Bartholomew Road in Middletown.

It's unclear how long Blossom was trapped in the concrete box culvert that runs under both lanes of Route 9. The water in the culvert was about 8 inches deep and flowing rapidly when the cow was rescued, according to the fire department post.

A number of local emergency response and animal control agencies attempted to rescue the cow on Sunday, then again on Monday. A team from Tufts Veterinary Field Service joined rescue efforts and sedated the cow with a tranquilizing dart Tuesday. Blossom was then strapped to a flexible sled and firefighters hauled her up the ravine.

Veterinarians evaluated Blossom and noted she only had a few scrapes on her legs. Blossom was taken by the Durham Animal Response Team to a state-owned barn in Niantic to quarantine.

The Department of Agriculture is working with a farm in Killingworth for permanent placement.