Offspring of cow that survived tsunami enters national cattle fair

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NATORI, Miyagi Prefecture--The offspring of a cow that survived the 2011 earthquake and tsunami disaster will feature in a cattle fair known as the Olympics for Holsteins later this month.

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Offspring of cow that survived tsunami enters national cattle fair
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NATORI, Miyagi Prefecture--The offspring of a cow that survived the 2011 earthquake and tsunami disaster will feature in a cattle fair known as the Olympics for Holsteins later this month.

Spica, aged 3 years and seven months, was raised by students at the Miyagi prefectural agricultural high school here.

It was selected at a prefectural contest held Sept. 12, the first time in the prefecture that an animal not raised by farmers has been chosen for the national contest held every five years. It is one of eight Holsteins from the prefecture for the cattle fair.

The fair will take place in Abira, Hokkaido, between Oct. 23 and Oct. 26.

Spica's mother, Legend, was in a cowshed of the school near the coast when the Great East Japan Earthquake hit March 11, 2011, generating towering tsunami that devastated northeastern Japan.

Thirty-four cows were swallowed by waves, but Legend and 13 other cows pulled through.

Those that survived were sent to other schools or the prefecture’s livestock experimental station as the agricultural high school building was badly damaged.

Legend gave birth to Spica while it was in the care of others.

The agricultural high school continued to give classes after a prefabricated makeshift structure was built on the premises of the prefecture’s agriculture-related facility located inland.

A temporary cowshed, made mainly of plastic, was built two years ago.

Some of the cows have returned and a group of students majoring in livestock raising began tending to them with hopes of entering the prefectural contest.

They lavished their attention on Spica, milking it every day after school and keeping the animal clean. They made sure the floor of Spica’s shed was lined with rice hulls thicker than those in other sheds to keep her from slipping as she has problems with one of her hooves.

“Spica has greater udders,” said Itsuki Tsuchiya, a third-year student, who led the group. “She placed last place in the prefectural contest last year. We wanted to avenge that. (Spica making it to the national fair) is the result of all our efforts to take care of her.”

The students at the agricultural high school are still studying at the makeshift building even four years after the tsunami.

But Yumi Soga, a third-year student who is a member of the group, said the hardship the cows endured provided the members with a moral boost.

“We could move on thanks to people who gave us support,” said Soga, whose family had new home built in May because their old one was swept away by the tsunami. “Above all, we are thankful to the cows that survived (tsunami.)”

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