Ann – and the other side of the fence

Somehow, she had navigated her way in there from the other side of the fence.

Rousing from her slumber, she soon stood and blinked at the world around her. If she hadn’t stolen our hearts by then, right in that moment, she most certainly did.

Craning her sleek black neck our way, out came her hungry and searching tongue. “Where’s your mumma?” we softly cooed, “Now, where’s your mumma?” With no other cows in sight, save those on our side of the fence, we then desperately asked ourselves that very same question.

With 11 curious cows now all watching on, it didn’t take long to determine that all was not well with the little calf. Suffering dehydration from the heat of the previous day and lack of her mumma’s goodness, little Ann, as she was to become known, was bundled up with love and promised all would be well, as we tried to piece together her past.

Our neighbour from the other side of the fence helped us to this end. From him, we learned that he had moved a herd of mumma cows and their babies from the paddock abutting the one Ann was found in some days earlier.

And so it seemed that somehow, Ann had been left behind. Only history will now know, though, whether her curiosity and cravings, which took her to that plantation, came before or after that move.

Within the herd of many cows, none showed signs of losing her baby. And so it seemed Ann may have just made the greatest call of her life. For she, of her own volition, had found sanctuary, and our task then remained to seal the deal.

As a black Angus breed, Ann’s life could have gone one of two ways: to become a breeder like her dear mumma or be sold off for slaughter. But thanks to the kind heart of the farmer from the other side of the fence, a third “career” path for Ann was laid – to live out her life at sanctuary.

However, kickstarting that path was a tad tricky, as little Ann’s health needed to be urgently addressed. With her name given as a symbol of hope and a testament to kindness, Ann readily rallied, proving she was indeed the favoured one.

One who shall now live a life filled with mercy and grace.

In today’s hectic and fast-paced world, where violence and conflict are never too far from a headline, it is easy to overlook small acts of kindness such as the one that saved Ann. And as her story reminds us, kind hearts beat within us all, regardless of which side of the fence one belongs.