UPDATED 11.57AM The cows stranded on a grass island in the middle of a massive earthquake-triggered landslide have reportedly been rescued.

The two adult cattle and a calf of cows were spotted from the air yesterday and reports of their plight have gone around the world.

Federated Farmers spokeswoman Katie Milne was not aware of the rescue.

But she said a high-profile helicopter pilot, whom she indicated was McCaw, who has been helping following the quakes, had offered to drop hay and water to the stranded trio.

Britain's Independent is describing them as the "luckiest cows in the world".

These three cows are stranded on a cliff after the New Zealand earthquake https://t.co/ySwhgJl4Mg pic.twitter.com/MbJ5FX24Ey

— The Independent (@Independent) November 14, 2016

America's Fox News says the three New Zealand cows looked like they could use a little help.

3 cows stranded on patch of land after powerful New Zealand earthquake https://t.co/oZ4uVdscF2 #eqnz pic.twitter.com/86HDEDXTJK

— Fox News (@FoxNews) November 14, 2016

China's Xinhau News is equally fascinated about their plight.

Help! 3 cows stranded on an "island" of grass surrounded by collapsed earth from landslides triggered by NZ quake #eqnz(screenshots/Newshub) pic.twitter.com/VgXUJA052c

— China Xinhua News (@XHNews) November 14, 2016

 Milne said the need for more food was a driving force and once one of the beasts had taken the plunge it was likely the other two would follow.

She said it was not normally a difficult job to get stranded cattle off perches safely but in this case there was a problem for the farmer reaching them across his quake-ravaged north Canterbury farmland.