When humans think they know better

friday

Here's a moving account about a study on animals ability to find other animals over long distances...

"Blackie, a two-year old heifer, broke away from the new farm she had been sold to and, walking seven miles through strange country, 'homes in' on the new farm that her calf had been taken to. The story started when the heifer and her calf were sold seperately in Hatherleigh market in Devon. The mother was sent to Bob Woolacott's farm near Okenhapmton where she was bedded down for the night with a supply of hay and water. But her maternal instinct led her to break out of the farmyard, and over a hedge into a country lane. Next morning she was found seven miles away reunited and suckling her calf at Arthur Sleeman's farm at Sampford Countenay. Mr. Sleeman was able to identify Blackie as the mother by the auction-labels still stuck on their rumps".

From "Dogs that know when their owners are coming home - and other unexplained powers of animals" by Rupert Sheldrake 

The story does not go on to say whether they were allowed to stay together, but after that kind of heroic motherly instinct they sure deserved to stay together!

Image ©bbc.co.uk

Comments

Anna E said…
Yes, it would be almost evil to separate them after this kind of reunion! Makes me think, once I heard that trees belong to an ancient "tribe" and can actually communicate with one another, and the first trees in a lane would registre the nature of the human approching, and send a signal to the other trees further away. To me it sounds like animals belong to a tribe as well, and maybe the calf sent out a signal, which made it possible for the mother to find it.. Also make me wonder what humans and human affairs appear like to animals? Probably most of our behaviour seems strange and foreign to them, like fx separating and selling the heifer and the calf to different farms. An odd world indeed...
February 6, 2010 at 4:15 PM
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