Hundreds of thirsty cows in drought-stricken Australia swarm water truck, video shows

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Cows swarm water truck in drought-stricken Australia

Raw video: Aerial footage shows cattle surrounding truck after farmers provided water to save their livestock in New South Wales, an area of Australia that just experienced its second-driest autumn on record.

A herd of thirsty cows swarmed a water truck in Australia, drone footage of the event shows.

A farmer in New South Wales drove more than an hour to deliver water to 1,300 cows, according to FOX13 News. The region has been battling one of the worst droughts in years.

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The drought, likely intensified by a dry winter, has made it extremely difficult for many farmers in the region to feed and give water to livestock, as well as keep crops alive, according to the BBC.

“It's like you are in jail every day," Ashley Gamble, one farmer, told a local Australian news outlet. "You turn up here because you've got to turn up. It's just depressing."

The dry weather is expected to last for at least another three months. The bleak outlook has prompted the state government to ease up on rules that cap how many kangaroos farmers can shoot. Kangaroos are known to steal the scant food the cows do get.

"Many farmers are taking livestock off their paddocks, only to then see kangaroos move in and take whatever is left," Primary Industries Minister Niall Blair told the Associated Press.

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Additionally, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on Sunday announced a roughly $140 million package that will include payments to farmers to make up for lost income, as well as mental health support efforts, the Washington Post reported.

“These are bleak times, and a lot of people find it very hard to cope,” Turnbull said, according to the paper.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.