A young steer is now safe at a sanctuary after being spotted running along the tracks at Newark’s Penn Station in New Jersey.
Authorities made repeated attempts to corral the young Texas Longhorn steer before finally sedating him so he could be transported to safety, according to CNN. Images of the small steer before capture — appearing confused and lost on the train track — quickly spread on social media and the news.
About 50 miles away from the train station, Mike Stura — founder and president of Skylands Animal Sanctuary & Rescue — reportedly received hundreds of calls about the steer from concerned animal lovers.
“I’m well on my way,” Skylands Animal Sanctuary & Rescue posted on the organization’s Facebook page, about an hour after news of the stranded steer had broken.
Later that day, the nonprofit posted a video of the innocent young steer, having recently woken up. He had straw on his head and appeared groggy but safe. He was named Ricardo and was receiving all necessary veterinary care, according to the sanctuary.
Stura said that Ricardo will need to quarantine before he can meet the other cattle at the sanctuary, according to CBS News.
“He has had a long, rough day of fighting for his life, luckily it has paid off… Can you imagine that people wanted to kill and eat him?” The sanctuary posted on Facebook.
It is suspected that the young steer escaped from a nearby slaughterhouse. Other animals at Ricardo’s new home were also rescued from live markets or slaughterhouses, according to the sanctuary’s website.
Videos from the sanctuary’s Facebook show Ricardo enjoying sunshine, fresh air, and grass under his hooves.
The sanctuary’s social media is full of animal lovers celebrating Ricardo’s rescue. Many supporters shared that it was their love for animals like Ricardo that inspired them to stop eating animals. Cattle, who are exceptionally gentle and social animals, suffer when they are farmed for their meat or dairy.
Ricardo (Courtesy of Skylands Animal Sanctuary And Rescue)
You can make a difference for innocent animals like Ricardo by making the compassionate choice to eat plant-based. For another story about farmed animals saved from slaughter, read to learn how LFT recently funded care for rescued turkeys.
