A cow has been recaptured after jumping from a livestock carrier in Australia in a last-ditch escape bid.

The animal was being loaded on to a Wellard Group vessel in Fremantle when it bolted and swam to shore.

From there it evaded its pursuers for 5km until being apprehended, after more than 24 hours on the run.

Fremantle Sea Rescue member Josh Gammon-Carson told reporters: "Everyone loves a good underdog story, and everyone loves this cow." 

There have reportedly been calls to have the cow pardoned and not exported from Australia. 

One woman said on social media she had spotted the animal in a coastal park, while another snapped the absconder on a beach.