A young calf named Mika, which escaped from the Bell Food Group meat plant in Oensingen, Switzerland, was shot dead after a one-hour manhunt. Despite appeals from animal rights defenders to spare its life, authorities decided to eliminate the animal for safety reasons.
Escape from the slaughterhouse
Calf Mika escaped during unloading at the Bell Food Group plant, causing chaos on the streets of Oensingen.
Damage in the town
During the escape, the animal crashed into the glass doors of a building on Dünnernstrasse, causing significant material damage.
Gamekeeper intervention
After an hour of unsuccessful attempts to capture it, a gamekeeper called to the scene shot the animal.
Activist protests
The Basel Animal Safe organization unsuccessfully petitioned for the calf to be handed over to an animal sanctuary.
A young calf named Mika was shot dead by a gamekeeper after a one-hour escape from the Bell Food Group meat plant in Oensingen, Switzerland. The incident occurred on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, during the unloading of animals destined for slaughter. The animal managed to break free from slaughterhouse workers and ran onto the streets of the town in the canton of Solothurn. During its escape, Mika ran into the glass doors of a company building on Dünnernstrasse, completely shattering them. The Solothurn Cantonal Police confirmed that despite efforts, the animal could not be safely captured or secured.
The search operation lasted about sixty minutes, during which the calf ran freely around the area, attracting significant interest from residents and the media. Police representatives argued that the situation posed a threat to public safety and that attempts to herd the animal to a safe place were unsuccessful. The final decision to eliminate it was made when it was deemed there was no other way to control the situation. „Das Tier liess sich nicht sichern” (The animal could not be secured) — Bruno Gribi via watson.ch The decision to shoot Mika was made despite the immediate reaction of activists from the Basel Animal Safe organization, who appealed for the animal's life to be spared. Bell Food Group is a leading meat processor in Switzerland, with a history dating back to 1869 when Samuel Bell founded the company in Basel. The Oensingen plant is one of the group's key production points, specializing in beef slaughter and processing. Incidents of animals escaping from slaughterhouses in Switzerland are rare, but each time they spark public debate about animal welfare and safety procedures in meat plants.
Animal rights defenders named the calf Mika and declared their readiness to immediately transport it to an animal sanctuary where it could live out its natural life. Representatives of Basel Animal Safe emphasized that the will to live demonstrated by the animal during its escape should be respected. However, their requests to halt the execution and hand over the calf to the organization's care were not considered by the authorities or the plant's management. Timeline of the Oensingen incident: March 11, morning — Escape from transport; March 11, late morning — Property damage; March 11, approx. 10:00 — Authorities intervene; March 11, approx. 11:00 — Animal shot dead