A cow survived without major injuries after it fell into a 50-ft deep well.

The animal slipped into the well while grazing in Rampur village near Khordha in eastern India on May 8.

The well had knee-deep water which cushioned the cow’s fall.

Local villagers, who went looking for the cow, saw it inside the well and called the fire brigade officials, who battled for four hours to lift the cow from the deep well.

An official went down the well and harnessed the cow to a rope, which was then slowly lifted with a JCB digger.

Ajay Kumar Das, a volunteer of Snake Helpline, who was on the spot to give a helping hand, also filmed the rescue on his mobile.

''The cow ran away happily without any visible injuries. There are minor bruises which will heal in a few days,'' said Das.