The cow was found stranded in the rugged terrain of the Veľký Kyseľ gorge, a 1.4-kilometer-long climbing route in the northeast of the country, inaccessible without the use of cables and railings.

According to the Slovak Paradise National Park Administration, the cow was most likely led to the area, seven kilometers away from its grazing field, by tourists.

Posting on Facebook, a spokesman for Slovak Paradise said: “The situation where a farm animal has gotten so deep into the difficult-to-reach terrain of a national park falls into the category of extremely unique.

“We don’t think she would have done it independently.

“It is likely that she was lured away from the herd and on the way ‘helped’ by irresponsible tourists.”
After finding the cow stuck under the gorge’s Barikádový vodopád waterfall, National Park staff and farmers attempted to rescue the helpless heifer but were eventually forced to give up.

The cow’s owner, Rudolf Uhliar, said: “We couldn’t safely extricate her; the terrain was too perilous for her to make the journey back without serious injury.

“Unfortunately, we had to put her down on the spot.”

The National Park added: “We urge all visitors of Slovak Paradise not to feed, lure and scare cows, sheep or other farm animals grazing on the meadows of the national park.

“They can cause difficulties for the animals and their owners, as in this case.”