Now motoring on

Swiftly stepping in where the absentee farmer could not, they were contacted and a surrender was arranged. Not long thereafter, the cold grip of that merciless dawn was prised off and two sweet Black Suffolk lambs were sanctuary bound.

Holden, taller and stronger than his frail sister, Monaro, feebly took to his colostrum. Though his suckling was weak, it gave us hope. Yet Monaro, her tiny head hanging limply, offered little as her body was motionless, devoid of even the reflex to feed. But with care and tender hands her frail form was warmed. And when she showed us that hint of strength we had been looking for, her empty belly was gently tubed with colostrum. 

In those early days, life was a battle, as we could not read what the tea leaves told. While Holden took no time to find his feet, little Monaro was slower to trust her own. However, nurtured by love and coaxed by the encouraging words, “Come on Monaro, you got this, girl,” Monaro slowly came into her own light. One careful hoof-fall after the other.

That was then. And this is now.

Fast forward just over a month and this once-tiny duet is tiny no more. Holden has tipped the scales at an impressive 10 kg. His sturdy frame and playful spirit speak of health and triumph. Monaro, though still smaller, is not far behind her brother. Quiet but resilient, she too has begun to flourish.

As they grow and take on the hues of their Black Suffolkdom (black legs and white body), black is no longer their colour or their future.

From frostbitten beginnings to a future full of promise, Holden and Monaro are living proof that with love, even the smallest lives can be fuelled. In their survival, we are reminded: hope takes root in the warm hands and hearts of kindness.