Bulgaria's Food Safety Agency announced on Monday that after a review and laboratory tests, Penka the red cow should be returned to her herd by the end of the week.

"The animal remains at this stage forbidden in the village of Kopilovtsi. It is expected at the end of the week that the animal be returned for cultivation in the site in the village of Mazarachevo," the Agency said in a statement.

The story began two weeks ago when, as many of her kind have done before her, Penka the cow wandered from her herd near the Bulgarian village of Mazarachevo.

When the 5-year-old ruminant was discovered by a farmer a few kilometers away in neighboring Serbia, her return was orderly until she reached the border. Despite having been checked over by a Serbian vet, Penka was found to be lacking the necessary paperwork for a stroll beyond the EU's borders.

Authorities said she had violated guidelines and would be killed and buried.

At that point, animal rights campaigners took common cause with those decrying Brussels bureaucracy and campaigned on her behalf. A petition on change.org reached more than 30,000 signatures, including that of ex-Beatle Paul McCartney.

By Monday, the news came through of Penka's reprieve.

Animals crossing borders

Animal rights group Four Paws pointed out that dozens of animals moved over and back across EU borders — including a possible future EU frontier between the UK province of Northern Ireland and the Republic — every day.

"It would be really cruel to kill all those animals," said spokesman Yavor Gechev. "I do hope that if there is a gap in European legislation, Penka's case will help to solve this issue."

jm/msh (Reuters, AFP)

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