HAVILAH, Calif. (KGET) — Forty days after Curly the Bull almost met his demise when the Borel Fire raced through the historic Kern County mining town of Havilah, the 5-year-old bovine is recovering, slowly but surely. He is out of the woods in terms of being euthanized and off his meds.

Havilah resident Mark Carruthers, his veterinarian wife Heather and their four teens had what they called a hobby herd of quasi pets — but the entire herd perished on July 26, except Curly, who suffered serious burns to his hooves, legs and belly.

Then a small miracle — they discovered Mocha the cow, who’d found refuge near a small spring and a patch of untouched grass, though she suffered serious burns to her hooves, survived. She was discovered four weeks after the fire, injured and starving but alive. She has been obscured by a stand of trees.

Now they’re both local folk heroes. Curly’s image is even on a T-shirt.

Both beasts will be returned to their normal roosts when they’re able. In a couple of days, Curly will be prodded along a couple hundred yards to his favorite water trough — over several days, a few hundred feet at a time, according to Mark Carruthers.

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Meanwhile, Walker the shepherd-cattle dog mix is almost fully recovered from his paws’ burns. He is living with Tehachapi veterinary specialist Stormy Fralick, who has changed the furry survivor’s name to Reggie.

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