Decomposing Cows in Fresno River

Three dozen stampeding cows plunged about 50 feet into a granite canyon just below Bob Keith's mountainside home outside Coarsegold. Kirsten Gross, the Director of Madera County's Animal Shelter said, "It appears something scared and startled them and they went off a cliffside." Nearly a dozen cows survived the fall but couldn't climb out of the rocky hole. The impact killed the others and authorities believe they've been decomposing in mid 90 degree temperatures for a week. Gross said, "Obviously we have some health and safety issues with carcasses in the Fresno River." The rugged area is normally submerged by the roaring Fresno River. Only every summer the Madera County Irrigation District cuts off the flow. Keith said the farmer was upset because, "He thinks he could have probably saved 10 or 11 of them." Keith himself said he was disturbed. That Madera County Sheriff Deputies didn't give the farmer a chance to save the pricey animals that did survive. "The Sheriff's Department told him that they didn't have time to stand around all day for him to make a decision. And he says well, you do what you have to do and so they shot em all."...abc