A cow escaped being slaughtered for a religious ceremony and had to be rescued when it fell into a pond.

The brown bovine broke free from its ropes as it was about to be sacrificed for Eid al-Adha in East Java, Indonesia, on June 6.

Footage shows chaotic scenes as the farm animal was being chased by locals across a property.

The 800kg cattle disappeared behind a garden area that was under construction and covered with black cloth.

However, the animal had fallen into a mini-pond that was 7ft (2m) deep and was later extracted by a crane with the help of firefighters.

Wasis Sutikno, head of Surabaya Fire Department, said: ‘Officers coordinated to carry out the evacuation immediately. The cow is still in good health.'

The rescue operation lasted for almost two hours as the animal was too heavy for the residents to lift.

They waited for the fire department's equipment before they saved the cow and returned it to its owner.