THIS young bull needs to up its swimming lessons after slipping into a Hampshire river as it went for a drink.

But there was little chance of it drowning, as it had two life rings around its neck as it ended up going for a dip in the Itchen Navigation Canal.

The photo was taken by Daily Echo reader Leon Croombs who was walking his dogs at Palmers Field on the edge of Winchester.

Leon, an operations manager for Virgin Media, said: “The rings were on the bank by the edge of the water and as it was trying to get out it actually pushed its own head through them.

“It was too deep at that point so it fell back in and carried on swimming.

“When it got out two walkers on the other side of the river got the rings off.

“It took quite a while for the fire brigade to arrive, and even then it was just a guy in an estate car. But the bull was out of the river before they arrived.”

Winchester College owns the land and has been grazing cattle there to recreate the historic landscape of pre-Second World War.

Robin Chute, estates bursar, said: “It is a bull calf that slipped into the canal when having a drink. It is perfectly docile. The calf is fine and both it and the rings are back where they belong.”

A fire service spokesman said an officer attended but no action was required as the calf was out of the water.