Can a cow swim? In the animal world the situation is quite similar to that of humans. Some people are outright masters of swimming, while others can barely float. Cows in this area are doing similarly or even better than humans. So in answering the question, cows can swim.
Can a cow swim?
If the need arises, the cows easily cross various water bodies to get, for example, to a new pasture with fresh food. For example, in Ireland, cattle keepers lead their herd, which has to cross over a 100-meter lake in order to reach the pasture on the other side.
Cows can swim and other large animals too
As a curiosity, we will also mention that other large animals can also swim without any problems. This group includes, among others, pigs and even elephants. Elephants can swim up to 50 km at a time. Some experts further say that their proboscis evolved as a natural “snorkel” for diving.
Can cows go underwater?
Cows cannot swim underwater. Cow fats and large lungs make the animal keeps them afloat. Even when they go underwater they resurface instantly. While the average cow can’t swim under the water, a different type can swim: elephant bulls. These big animals can swim completely under water surface.
Can cows swim in chlorinated water?
Cow should not swim in chlorine waters in e.g. swimming pool. Although some animals can survive a short period in the pool, chlorinates are not good for animals. Chlorine is used to eliminate waterborne bacteria to avoid infection. In other words chlorine is not only effective in eliminating harmful bacteria, it can destroy any bacteria in cow’s digestive system. The cow has a unique digestive system that shares its characteristic with sheep and goats. The digestive system relies on the bacteria living within a multiple stomach for digestion. The microbes ferment food in the digestive system of cow. When they are hit by the chloride many of them are destroyed and die.
