Cow becomes viral star after escaping from an abattoir

While an appetite for underdog stories seem hardwired into the human psyche, many people around the world are showing that a love for cooked animal doesn’t have to be.

Perhaps this goes some length to explaining why a cow filmed standing in a patch of greenery in Carlisle has gone viral.

The serene-looking bovine in question is reported to have escaped from an abattoir on Wednesday and social media users have been cheering the freedom-seeker on in style.

The jokes wrote themselves.

Elation turned to concern for the cow's former neighbours.

There were calls for parliament to intervene.

And offers of adoption.

Despite the outpouring of love and kindness, Cumbria Police announced they had caught up with the cow in a housing estate.

They released the following statement:

The cow, which was in a highly distressed state, was destroyed by armed officers following concerns for the public and motorists.

One resident said the cow had been in the estate for around an hour and had told the News and Star:

It looks quite calm at the moment but I know how dangerous cows can be. I'm still confined to the house at the moment.

There remains a glimmer of hope that others may have survived a similar ordeal in the past.

More: These might be the luckiest cows in the world