50Kgs of plastic removed from cow’s stomach in Ethiopia

A team of six vets in southern Ethiopia has successfully removed 50kg of plastic from a cow following three hours of surgery.

“The cow is alive and in good health,” Dr Firaol Waaqoo told BBC Afaan Oromoo’s Bizuworq Olaanaa.

“Cows can ingest plastics because of lack of pasture or minerals, and the way people disposing of plastic materials is also becoming a problem for the health of livestock,” he added.

Last month, the animal’s owner Areerii Carii brought another of his cows to the vets who removed 20kg of plastic from its stomach.


“Because we have helped him before, he trusted us,” Dr Firaol said.

The Borana people of Ethiopia’s Oromo region are pastoralists who are heavily dependent on livestock but the area they inhabited is semi-arid with little rain.