Farmer devastated after pregnant water buffalo drown in mud

The rescue involved releasing air pockets using inflatables around the animals before they could be pulled out with ropes

A famer has spoken of his devastation after two pregnant water buffalo drowned in a muddy bog.

Steve Mitchell told BBC Scotland News he discovered six expectant animals stuck in a marshy field at The Buffalo Farm in Kirkcaldy.

He said the water had turned to a thick "soup" during recent dry weather.

A rescue effort involving the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS), using inflatables and a forklift, managed to save four of the 800kg buffalo.

The huge rescue happened on Monday

Mr Mitchell said the buffalo, which are from his prize milking herd and cost £3,000 each, were eight-and-a-half months pregnant.

He said his stockman had thought the animals were wallowing in the mud.

Mr Mitchell added the stockman had not checked them more closely because the bull in the field had chased him on his quad bike, which had distracted him.

By the time the buffalo were assessed two had drowned after battling exhaustion.

On Monday firefighters used blow-up floats to release the animals.

They were then pulled from the mud by staff and a forklift using halters around their heads.

Mr Mitchell said: "It is a horrible, horrible feeling. We're gutted.

"We are frustrated at ourselves because it was avoidable but we can't beat ourselves up too much.

"We just have to make sure we learn from this experience and not let this happen ever, ever again."

Firefighters helped with the rescue

The farmer added his team were "really frustrated" at the loss.

Mr Mitchell said: "When you keep animals you do feel a huge responsibility when things go wrong like yesterday.

"It's a horrible guilty feeling that you've let them down and it's not a nice feeling at all.

"But that's farming unfortunately you have to be resilient and not dwell too much on it because you've got a lot of other animals to look after."

He also acknowledged there were "mitigating factors" in the deaths, which were first reported in The Courier newspaper.

Mr Mitchell said: "The bull is good natured but recently it's started chasing the quad bike because it thinks it's a game and that has distracted our stockman."

A SFRS spokesperson said: "We were alerted at 12.25pm on Monday, 8 September to reports of a number of water buffalo in difficulty within a bog at a farm near Kirkcaldy.

"Operations Control mobilised one fire appliance and specialist resources to the area to assist the animals.

"Firefighters left the scene after ensuring the area was made safe."

The farm, which has 350 buffalo, opened 20 years ago.

It produces meat, milk, mozzarella cheese and yoghurt.

In 2017 a buffalo went on the run after escaping into the Fife countryside from the farm.