'Legendary' bull found 80km from home after West Coast floods

Tuesday, 22 February 2022

This Buller Bull was swept on a 80km journey in the West Coast floods, before being found safe and well in Westport.

The owner of a West Coast bull is promising him a happy retirement after he floated 80km down a flooded Buller River.

The 18-month Hereford bull went missing from a Maruia Falls farm in Murchison during the West Coast and upper south floods at the start of February, along with 100s of other livestock.

The ending is never usually good for animals lost in a flood, but this bull survived the approximate 80km journey downstream to Westport where a local farmer spotted him amongst his herd.

Bull owner Tony Peacock sad he was happy his bull was located safe and well.

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“I think he will get legend status now and can be put in a paddock to retire with some cows.'

Peacock predicts the bull’s adventures took him down the Maruia River, over the 10m-high Maruia Falls, through the Buller River, under O’Sullivan’s Bridge, and through the Buller’s rocky upper and lower reaches, somehow avoiding what would have been a fatal end out at sea.

“I am happy to be able to have him back,” said Peacock.

The Hereford is worth about $1800, however Peacock said the loss of two other bulls on his farm was small fry compared with the damage across the region which suffered two floods in February.

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“My neighbour lost 74 cows. I lost three bulls, so it pales in comparison to be fair.

“The one on the other side lost a dozen.”

The bull had been grazing on a terrace above the Maruia River, in the Shenandoah area in early February before he, and two others were swept away by floodwaters.

He had been missing a week when Peacock received a call from stock trackers Ospri, after a dairy farmer in Westport located the bull and identified it by the tag on its ear.

Peacock admitted he did miss his bull, but had never named him, as he was just one of the pack.

“He’s just a bull.”

Peacock was awaiting the bull's return, as it would be trucked home by a Westport livestock truck company.

Last year the July flood was said to be a 1-in-100-year event. However, the most recent flood was three to four feet higher, said Peacock.

Peacock said it was the highest rise in water on his property that he had seen.

“They forecast 60mm, and I tipped out over 160mm from the rain gauge the next morning.'