Karnataka Cow Swallows Gold Chain, Scan done and Family Gets it Surgically Removed

A cow in Karnataka had to undergo surgery to remove a gold chain it had accidentally swallowed.

Srikanth Hegde and family living in Heepanahalli, Sirsi Taluk, Uttara Kannada district own a 4-year-old cow and a calf. On the eve of Diwali, during the Gow Puja ceremony the family bathed the cow and calf and performed puja. Like several households in this region, the cow is considered sacred. One can find cows all decked up with garlands and colorful flowers during this time in the region. Some people also consider cow as a form of ‘Lakshmi’, goddess of wealth. They adorn their cows with gold jewelry, perform puja, feed them and then take the jewelry back.

This is where it all went wrong for Hedge’s family. Hegde’s family had put a gold chain weighing 20 grams around the calf’s neck. They later removed it and kept it along with flowers and other items before the cow. In a matter of minutes, the gold chain went missing. The family started looking for the chain all over. They



searched the cow shed as well, until the family got suspicious that the cow might have swallowed the chain. While they were away for a moment, the cow might have just swallowed the chain along with the flowers kept as offerings.

For 30-35 days since the incident, Hegde’s family checked the dung of the cow and calf religiously every single day, but were disappointed to not find the chain. Finally, they went to the veterinary doctor for help. The doctor used a metal detector to confirm the presence of metal inside the cow’s stomach. Later a scan was done to spot the exact place in cow’s tummy.

On family’s request, the cow was operated on surgically and the gold chain was removed. The chain was stuck inside the stomach of the animal. The chain now weighs 18 grams since a small bit of the chain remains missing. The family is relieved to get their gold chain back — but upset the animal had to go through all the ordeal. The cow is now said to be recovering from the surgery.