A pregnant cow will be executed as a result of crossing from her European Union farm in Bulgaria into the non-EU Serbia. Penka, a pregnant red cow who is due in around three months’ time, wandered westwards away from her herd near the village of Kopilovtsi, straying over the border into non-EU Serbia.
Two weeks later, she was returned to her owner, Ivan Haralampiev, by a farmer over the frontier. However, Bulgarian officials said the animal must be put down because of strict EU rules. Penka will now be executed because she didn’t have the proper paperwork — despite being given a clean bill of health by Serbian vets.
“She had left the borders of the EU and cannot be imported back into the European Union,” Haralampiev told public BNT Television Thursday as he pleaded for his cow to be saved.
A vet comes and orders it to be immediately culled!”
The farmer also lamented how the cow was able to saunter over the border unchecked in the first place. “How come nobody attempted to stop it?” he said.
Although Serbian vets have written a statement saying Penka was in a perfect condition and fit to return home, Bulgarian authorities said she should be put down without delay.
Officials said it was not in their powers to save Penka from the EU regulations.