When Hurricane Dorian hit land in September, 2019, it left behind a swath of destruction all the way from the Bahamas to Atlantic Canada. On an island off North Carolina, a herd of cows and horses were swept away by a huge wave. In the following days, dead horses were found washed up on beaches and it was assumed that many other animals were swept out to sea.
But there was a bit of good news. One cow was spotted on a distant beach the day after the storm. Three weeks later, two other cows joined it. They travelled 4-5 miles (6.5-8 km) in the water to get to Cape Lookout National Seashore. Cows are capable of swimming but have never been known to swim for miles. It is assumed that they were carried along with the waves and ‘bodysurfed’ their way to the national park.
The three cows appear healthy and have been grazing grass along the shoreline. Now the question is how to get them back to their home ranch.
Source: Katz, Brigit. Three Cows Swept Away by Hurricane Dorian Have Been Found Alive. Smithsonian Magazine SmartNews. November 15, 2019.
— Janet Wallace