An intrepid cow escaped from an abattoir and forced an express train to stop Tuesday near the city of Buehl in south-western Germany.

The police said the animal remained on the tracks for over an hour.

The escape attempt proved futile, however.

A hunter was called to kill the animal.

The Intercity-Express stopped at around 5 a.m. (0400 GMT) to avoid hitting the cow.

The incident occurred on the Rheintalbahn railway section, one of the most important north-south connections for European rail transport.

photo: Illustration picture