Gross attempts to move a cow stuck in a Utah slot canyon prove futile
A rancher who thought shooting, dismembering and incinerating a cow was the best option to remove the cow from a Utah slot canyon found out that maybe there was a better way.
A cow wandered into a slot canyon in Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument earlier this month and was stuck for about two days before officials were alerted. They notified the rancher who holds grazing permits for the area, and he and his ranch hands showed up to try to free the cow.
When shooing it out the way it came just got it more stuck, they shot it and cut it in half, removing its front portion from the canyon.
Then they tried to burn its back half out of the way, according to the Salt Lake Tribune.
It didn’t work.
Instead, the fire caused debris to come crashing down from above, entombing the cow in the slot canyon and leaving monument officials to remove the cow and repair damage done by both the fire and the rancher’s ATVs.
The rancher could end up in trouble for driving in an area closed to motor vehicles.
Follow Stephanie Grimes on Twitter: @stephgrimes
