Peter Wright has shared an update on Big Girl the Highland cow, a beloved Channel 5 favourite, after concerns over her health. The update comes as The Yorkshire Vet returned for its 23rd season on Channel 5.
Big Girl's Health Concerns
During the season premiere on August 13, Peter visited the North York Moors to see Big Girl, a 27-year-old Highland cow who has previously appeared on the programme. Her owner, Bridget, was worried that Big Girl was "nearing the end."
However, by the end of the episode, Big Girl had rallied, leaving Peter speechless. "When I saw her previously, I thought she had nothing more than just a few weeks left," Peter explained in the episode. "And here we are now, coming here to celebrate Big Girl's 28th birthday."
Peter's Exclusive Update
Speaking exclusively to the Daily Express, Peter provided further details. "The back end of last year, going into winter, I thought, 'Big Girl is not going to get through winter, she's not going to make it.' So, we were preparing. The owner was preparing, I was preparing to have to go out to see Big Girl [and] do the dreadful deed," he said.
"We know her age is accurate. At that point, she was 27-and-a-half. She has a passport, so I know that her age is very accurate. Anyway, not only did she get over winter remarkably well, we know what the date of her birthday was, so we thought, 'We've got to mark this, her 28th birthday.'"
Celebrating the Milestone
Peter described how they celebrated Big Girl's birthday. "So, we made a cake and put all sorts goodies in it that cows like, like molasses and some nice, tasty cow cake. Her owner is very, very careful [with] what she feeds her. She gets lots of fresh veg and this sort of thing, which I think has probably helped over the years."
"But [we were] a little bit naughty and [took] this cake that we baked. Yes, it probably wasn't the healthiest, but, by gosh, did Big Girl enjoy it!"
Current Status
Concluding his update, Peter said: "She's still going strong now. [The cake] helped. It definitely helped." The Yorkshire Vet is available to stream on Channel 5.
