Even in the darkest of places

Perhaps it was a lapse in someone’s concentration, or maybe an open gate; we shall never know. Regardless, they leapt through and fled.

Running for their lives, these rangeland goats were once again captains of their own destiny, although this time it was very much in a world of human design and menace. With one of their favourite haunts being the busy freeway nearby, it was only a matter of time before a fast-moving vehicle or a sharpshooter ended that freedom.

With increased sightings of the escapee goats, reports of their activities flooded in. Knowing that to these world-weary and wise beings we would be just another predator set to claim them, we pondered how we could safely capture them.

But then the oddest thing happened.

Perhaps lured by a sense of something familiar—the smell of other goats or even the perceived safety of a cyclone-fenced grassy paddock within the confines of the slaughterhouse—the goats retreated to this area, slipping their way in through a small hole in the fence.

It was a stroke of good fortune we readily welcomed. However, knowing how adrenalised these goats would be—something that would magnify their agility and strength many times over—we knew we could not do this alone.

We enlisted the sharp-darting skills of Manfred Zabinskas, of Five Freedoms Animal Rescue, who shares our compassionate view of the world. Setting off on our well-worn path of mutual rescue, we packed vehicles, checked equipment and added walkie talkies.

Yet it would take several hours of work, as meticulous as it was patient, to rein in the goats.

All of this played out against the backdrop of the slaughterhouse. The smell of death and animal fat invaded our nostrils—something that would take several days to erase. The irony of saving three goats while hundreds were reduced to their parts but metres away was not lost on us.

But that we could save three was something we seized upon, reminding us that even in the darkest of places, there lives hope.

While Apricot, Mathew and Ali are still coming to terms with their new world and the kindness, safety and autonomy it offers, we are confident that, with the assistance of dear Calvin Klein—who is one of the friendliest goats—they will realise their future is bright.