After two months on the run, during which she evaded the combined efforts of farmers, vets and police, Hermien the cow has finally been captured.

Hermien’s bid for freedom began in December when she escaped being loaded on to a slaughterhouse truck and fled into woodland in Overijssel. In mid-January she was given an extra two weeks to roam the woods to calm down from all the media attention.

Owner Herman Jansen was said to be relieved after a vet captured the Limousin cow using tranquiliser darts at the weekend. Hermien will spend the rest of her days at a rest home in the Frisian village of Zandhuizen after the animal rights party PvdD raised almost €50,000 in a crowdfunding action to save her from the abattoir.

She was seen raiding a nearby farm for food, but attempts to catch her by planting food laced with knock-out drops in the barn also failed.

‘We’re pleased that we succeeded in the end,’ said Jansen’s daughter Maaike. ‘The last few weeks have been very stressful. She was walking over roads, which wasn’t safe. She also upset a lot of neighbours because she destroyed their fences.’