Monday 15 June 2009

Introducing my buffalo buddies

Hi there!

Today I want to tell you about some really cool buddies of mine. I bet you think all I do is hang around Animal Tracks all day - and mostly you'd be right to assume that! It is not the whole truth though. I also spend quite a bit of time roaming around Assagao either with someone from the centre gang or on my own.

swimming buffaloesWe like to wander off in the cool hours of the evening for a change of scenery. Some of the other centre dogs go off to chase cars or stray cattle or to get up to some other kind of mischief. I like to go down to the pond and visit this gang of buffaloes that like to go for an evening swim there. For a long time the little natural pond was dry because we were approaching the end of the dry season but now that we've had a couple of storms and heavy showers it has filled up again so they're all really pleased. They don't seem to mind that I join them in soaking up the sunset... only I don't do it from inside the water. I'm happy staying on the shore!

Buffaloes cooling offAt the centre lots of cattle are treated for all sorts of ailments: horn cancer, maggot wounds, burns, fractures etc etc. Most cows, bulls and buffaloes have owners but usually the owner doesn't mind International Animal Rescue taking care of the animals if they need to be treated. There are those however who refuse to let their animal be treated at the centre. Maybe they're afraid they won't get it back. Or perhaps their religious beliefs prevent them from agreeing to let IAR take custody of their cattle. In Hindu religion cows are sacred and while it's great that this means you can't kill them, it sometimes means that they are denied treatment by the owner for fear that it will cause them to die. It's really sad because this means that animals are left to suffer. Luckily this bunch is fit and healthy so for now I can continue to indulge in a bit of sunset meditation with them down by the pond.

Love from me!

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