A cow that found itself stuck in deep mud near Threlkeld, England, was safely rescued thanks to the combined efforts of three fire crews, a vet, a farmer, and a specialized large-animal rescue team.

The muddy ordeal unfolded on the afternoon of Friday, February 6, when Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service received a call about the stranded animal. Crews from Keswick, Penrith, and Workington stations were dispatched to the scene, located in the rural Lake District region of northwest England.

“Being a firefighter isn’t always glamorous!” the department posted on Instagram, sharing photos of the cow submerged up to its torso in thick mud. It’s unclear how long the animal had been stuck before help arrived.

Firefighters, alongside the veterinarian and the local farmer, spent several hours working to free the medium-sized cow. They used a hoisting mechanism and heavy-duty straps to lift and guide the animal out of the bog. The photos show the careful extraction process and the cow eventually standing safely on firm ground.

The department credited “coordinated teamwork and patience” for getting the cow “moo-ving” again.

Large-animal rescues like this are often physically demanding and require specialized training. In this case, that training paid off, with no injuries reported for either the cow or the crew.

The rescue came just days after a similar operation in Thaxted, where an 18-year-old pony named Geisha was pulled from a septic tank hole by Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service. In a statement to the BBC, Assistant Chief Fire Officer Darren Cook said the team was “highly trained” and ready to respond to a range of animal emergencies.

While these stories may not involve smoke or flames, they underscore the wide scope of work fire crews are prepared for—and their commitment to protecting lives, whether human or hoofed.