Wantage sanctuary takes in cow

WANTAGE (AP) — A cow that was captured by police after fleeing from a New York City slaughterhouse has been taken in by an animal sanctuary and renamed for rock legend Freddie Mercury.

Online video showed the brown and white cow trotting past shops and restaurants on Thursday afternoon.

The founder of the Skylands Animal Sanctuary in Wantage, Mike Stura, picked up the cow Friday morning in New York and says he's named the creature after the late lead singer of the band Queen.

The cow was scheduled to be killed on Friday. Instead, Freddie rode through rush-hour traffic in a trailer, then visited a vet, before arriving at a farm.

Stura says Freddie will enjoy "a life of leisure," being cared for alongside "cow friends."