By Cheryl Wood

A BULL in a china shop you’ve probably heard of, but a bull in a swimming pool—not likely.

That was the sight that confronted firefighters when they were called to help rescue an animal at a Fife farm yesterday.

An 850kg bull had fallen into an outdoor swimming pool at Kinaldy Farm, south of St Andrews.

The young animal had escaped from a neighbouring farm earlier in the day and had been captured.

It was when it made its second bid for freedom that it ended up taking an unexpected dip in the pool which is behind a barn.

Firefighters from St Andrews were drafted in to help shortly before 5.20pm and pumped water from the pool.

A local vet sedated the animal and placed slings around its body.

Around two and a half hours after it plunged into the pool the wet but uninjured bull was winched to dry land by the farmer using a telehandler.

It was led to a barn at Kinaldy where it was allowed to recover from its ordeal before being returned to its own farm.

Fife Fire and Rescue Service group manager Lindsay Petrie said the vet was satisfied that the bull, which had remained reasonably calm during the drama, had not suffered as a result of its watery escapade.

He said his crew had been at pains not to alarm the animal as they emptied the pool.

Reflecting on a more unusual 999 call, he added, “It’s not every day you go to a pool party with a bull.”

Meanwhile, near Dunbar, East Lothian, a dog was plucked to safety yesterday afternoon after crawling into a cave.

Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service sent an engine and five firefighters to rescue it.