A herd of free-roaming cows in Poland, whose intended slaughter upset animal-lovers and created a national outcry, have secured a last-minute reprieve.

Likened to sacred cows in India by their owners, the 180 cattle wandered fields in the western municipality of Deszczno for years. But Poland's chief veterinary officer declared them a danger to health and safety earlier this month.

Animal rights activists said the order to kill them was an outrage, given more humane possible solutions.

"The cows from Deszczno will not be slaughtered. Instead they will be isolated in a state-run farm," Poland's Agriculture Minister Jan Krzysztof Ardanowski said on Wednesday, reported news agency PAP.

Reuters