Plastic waste weighing around 15 kg was removed from the stomach of a stray cow by veterinary doctors at a state-run facility in Odisha's Ganjam district, officials said on Saturday.
A team of veterinary doctors, led by district veterinary surgeon Dr Kiran Kumar Bisoyi operated on the six-year-old cow for around three hours after it was rescued, they said.
Polythene bags, wrappers and other plastic wastes were removed from the stomach of the cow, Dr Bisoyi said.
The ailing cow was rescued from Vidya Nagar near Courtpeta area four days ago after an animal rights activist reported its condition to the authorities, he said.
The cow was in a critical condition when it was brought to the hospital, he said, adding that clinical examination revealed an accumulation of plastic waste in its stomach.
Stray cattle, which survive on leftovers dumped in polythene bags, end up with plastic in their stomachs, the doctor said.
After the removal of the plastics from its stomach, the cow's condition is stable now, he said.