A TOTAL of 22 firefighters and four fire engines were needed to rescue a Highland cow in Glasgow.

Park rangers at Pollok Country Park raised the alarm after finding Karene, a 15-year-old dun-coloured Highlander, was trapped in the White Cart Water just after 8pm last night.

Inititally, it looked like it would be a straight-forward rescue involving two fire crews and a good old-fashioned rope trick. But the weight of the creature made it impossible.

Plan B, using specialist pulling equipment to winch her back to safety, was also a non-starter and two fire engines from Renfrew were then called in, along with the unit's swift water rescue unit.

A 4x4 vehicle finally managed to get her to dry land after over 2hrs.

A Pollok Fire Station spokesman said: "They got there in the end.

I haven't heard how the clean-up operation went!"

Marilyn Muir acting manager of Pollok Country Park, said: ""It looks like Karene might have gone to the river for a drink and ended up stuck.

"She is one of our matriarchs - old enough to know better!"