Farmer plea after balloon gets stuck in cow's mouth

A farmer is warning about the dangers of releasing balloons after one got stuck in a cow's mouth.

Lisa Blackman, 47, from Stilton, Cambridgeshire, said her pet cow Stacey was in a "panicked state" after a helium balloon got stuck in the animal's jaws on Wednesday.

The RSPCA is calling for an outright ban on all balloons and sky lanterns, while the National Farmers' Union (NFU) says helium balloons can put livestock and the environment at risk.

Mrs Blackman said Stacey was unhurt after the incident.

Mrs Blackman says she and her husband find balloons on their farm, where they keep 600 beef cattle, "almost weekly".

She first spotted the yellow balloon in the field which Stacey, which they keep as a pet, shares with some other cattle and horses.

"Stacey was following it around the field and then she picked it up," Mrs Blackman said.

"She was playing with it when I saw her, but by the time I got to her she was running away from it but it was stuck to her."

Mrs Blackman said it was "lucky" that Stacey was relatively tame, so she could get close enough to help her.

She is now asking people to think about animals and the environment before releasing balloons.

"Every livestock farmer will tell you they have found animals with a balloon in their mouths," she said.

"You wouldn't throw any other type of litter in the street, like a crisp packet.

"A balloon is even more dangerous, they have a long string attached often which can become wrapped around things if animals start eating it."

RSPCA scientific officer Rebecca Machin said helium balloons released into the sky could cause "injury, suffering and death" to animals.

"Deflated or fragments of balloons can be mistaken for food and can cause a slow death by blocking the digestive or respiratory tracts, and the attached strings can strangle," she said.

"Even balloons that are classified as 'degradable' are unsafe, as they can take weeks to break down so still pose a risk."

The NFU has included helium balloons on a list of "problematic plastic items" that it wants to be considered for targeted future policy actions.

It said these items, which also include sky lanterns and dog poo bags, were a risk to livestock, human health, and the wider environment.

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