Cattle Herded via Helicopter to Higher Ground After Flooding From Former Cyclone Debbie

Cattle were seen swimming through tributaries in the Rockhampton region in Queensland to get to higher ground as the Fitzroy River is expected to peak.

Footage taken from a helicopter on April 2 show the herd of cows braving the flooded grounds in Canoona.

“It’s surprising how cattle swim so well,” the uploader said earlier in a Facebook comment. “You just have to keep them going straight so they don’t mob together and drown.”

Australian farmers and ranchers often use low-flying helicopters to herd cattle, but with the flooding they’ve been unable to track and manage all their livestock.

“The levels up there are above the 1991 level and there has been so much devastation and loss and our thoughts are with all these grazers,” the uploader said in a Facebook post.

“These cattle will survive and others will be found downstream on other properties up to months later.” Credit: Facebook/Cameron Parker Performance Horses via Storyful