TERESA, THE UNCOWARDLY COW

Sicily Scene loves an animal story with a happy ending so tonight I am delighted to bring you the tale of Teresa, the uncowardly Sicilian cow:

Teresa made national headlines in May when she escaped from a farm in Castiglione di Sicilia [Etna].  So desperate was she to get away that she followed the River Agrò until she reached the sea at Messina.  There, she threw herself into the Strait and started to swim towards Calabria.  She was rescued a mile out from the Sicilian coast by the joint efforts of the Italian Coast Guard and Fire Service.

Once rescued, Teresa's troubles were not over, however:  there had been cases of brucellosis on her farm and she seemed destined for the slaughterhouse.  But Teresa's doleful eyes had softened hearts all over Italy and, after a campaign by animal rights groups, facebook supporters and others who admired her courage, today it was announced that she is to go to a petting zoo in Messina Province where I am sure she will make many new friends.