Cattle stranded after New Zealand earthquake are rescued

Three cows stranded on a small island of land after a powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake rocked New Zealand have been led to safety by a team of rescuers, media said on Tuesday, November 15th.

The cows' plight went viral on Monday, November 14th after video shot from a helicopter showed them huddled on an elevated patch of grass near Kaikoura, about 90 miles northeast of Christchurch. The ground around them had apparently shifted or collapsed during the tremor.

See more pictures of the aftermath of the New Zealand earthquake:

The farmer, who said the cows were part of a group of 14 he rescued, worked with a team to dig a path for the cattle to escape after determining the land was safe, Newshub said.

The unnamed farmer said the cows desperately needed water and might have lost calves in the quake.

The earthquake struck just after midnight on Sunday, November 13th, destroying farm homesteads, sending glass and masonry toppling from high rises in the capital Wellington and cutting road and rail links throughout the northeast of the South Island. At least two people were killed.

Helicopter footage, from Kaikoura on the north east coast of the country's South Island, on Monday showed the cattle trapped on a tiny piece of land.

Kaikoura, a popular base for whale-watching, was completely cut off by massive landslips following the tremor.