Over to my left I noticed something brown at the end of the field so I went out to investigate and found a cow that had fallen down in a ‘chuck’ and obviously could not get up. I came back to the caravan to phone the farmer. While waiting for him to arrive, I observed that the bull had got up and went down to the fallen cow. These photos are what I took next and I could hardly believe my eyes.
To me, the bull
appeared to be distressed that the cow had fallen, and was trying to assist it
to its feet. It was quite moving.
The farmer and
his mother arrived with a tractor. We
put a sling around the cow and got it out of the ‘chuck’ however no matter
what we tried we could not get the cow upright.
The farmer said she had not been well recently and sad to say, she
died.
You can make up your own mind as to whether animals have feelings but I am convinced they do, having seen the distress in the bulls calls and in his eyes, then the gentleness and determination of him to try and assist the cow to its feet.
This was a very different post today and I hope you have enjoyed it and I would love to know if anyone else has had similar experiences with any animals.
Once again, MANY THANKS for all comments sent to any of my posts yesterday. I very much appreciate them all.
What amazing photos! I definitely believe that animals have feelings. From personal experience with the animals we have had, but also something I recently read in a book: That when they butchered chickens, their dog would pick up the head of each chicken and take it over to the [headless] chicken it belonged to. He did this for every chicken, as though he hoped it would help the chicken. I know that my dogs have experienced contentment, anger, fear, joy, etc.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you on this Margaret. Animals are sentient beings, so why wouldn't they experience emotional connections and all that that means.
ReplyDeleteNo doubt about that Margaret, animals can sense distress and so on in their own kind and probably in other animals too. We are all derived from the same stock all tose years ago. Thank you for such original pictures.
ReplyDeleteI too think animals have feelings. Very sad that the cow died...but death is a part of life, I guess.
ReplyDeleteI do not think there is any doubt? Crows who mourn a dead crow, dogs who stop eating when they loose a master. My Mom's dog spent weeks at her bedroom door after she died, before that he'd not leave the bed where my Dad died in their home. I've witnessed cats and dogs who were obviously distressed when one or the other was hurt...and it goes on You have captured some amazing emotion here, sweet and touching photos!
ReplyDeleteIt would be very hard to look at your pictures and not think animals have feelings. You did a great job of capturing the feelings of the bull for the cow.
ReplyDeleteHi Margaret - Made it at last! I have no idea why, but when you click on your photo in the followers thing, this blog doesn't come up....not for me anyway. So pleased to have found you now and yes, I do think they have feelings, just not expressed in a way that we always recognise. Lovely, lovely cow pictures, even in near death. All nature is beautiful, however harsh I think.
ReplyDeleteoh, i know they have feelings!
ReplyDeleteI am a big believer that animals have feelings. I saw it every day when my old dog, now long long gone, would come and rest her head on my knee and look up at me if I was sad. There were times when she comforted me like any human would.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very touching post Margaret, that beautiful old bull tells the story well and so do your wonderful photographs. I was so sorry it didn't have a happy ending but then life isn't all about happy endings even if we would like them to be.
Wishing you a great week,
Denise
An English Girl Rambles
That is quite amazing.It would seem like animals do have feelings.At the very least,you witnessed something special on that day.
ReplyDeleteYES, they definetly have feeling. this must have been hard to see, i was hoping for a happy ending!!
ReplyDeletefarm animals are so beautiful and i have seen them looking out for one another!!
These are very moving pictures!!! I have always not only thought that animals had emotions, but think since they are not as smart as us, that hey make up for it with stronger emotions. Look at a dog wagging his tail or putting it between it's legs. Look at my Sunny who is walking all over howling and crying for his brother Cher, who just died...
ReplyDeleteAmo moltissimo queste immagini, anch'io recentemente ne ho pubblicate alcune simili alle tue. La natura e la campagna con i suoi animali, sono quanto di meglio si possa desiderare. Un abbraccio
ReplyDeleteEmi
Ahhhhhhh---I absolutely believe that animals have feelings... Anyone who works with or close to animals KNOWS that they have feelings... I've seen videos showing lots of feelings---from several animals...
ReplyDeleteI watch my Bluebirds nesting in my backyard --and they are fabulous parents.. We humans need to learn from them!
Great group of photos.
Hugs,
Betsy
I noticed the other cows had calves, I wonder, did this one and did it have 'milk fever'? If the vet is called promptly, he can usually save the cow. We lost our precious house cow that way only because no-on was home during the day after she calved and by the tome we were, it was too late. We reared her calf though. Animals certainly do have feelings, We had a day old calf stolen and finally got it back a couple of weeks later. During the time between, the cow kept searching the paddock and other cows joined in the search and when the calf was back, even though the cows were in a different paddock the calf soon found it's mother.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if it's feelings, or instinct that they know something isn't right. Guess we'll never know, but the bull's reaction sure was touching to me.
ReplyDeleteSurely most of us know they do from our own pets. As for farm animals that rarely get the same consideration, my daughter spent the previous summer work at a farm sanctuary in the US, and she tells me not only did she get to know the characters of many of the animals (cows, sheep, pigs, chickens etc), she could tell the moods they were in on different days.
ReplyDeleteWe conveniently kid ourselves in thinking otherwise as it makes what we do to them so much easier.
Surely most of us know they do from our own pets. As for farm animals that rarely get the same consideration, my daughter spent the previous summer work at a farm sanctuary in the US, and she tells me not only did she get to know the characters of many of the animals (cows, sheep, pigs, chickens etc), she could tell the moods they were in on different days.
ReplyDeleteWe conveniently kid ourselves in thinking otherwise as it makes what we do to them so much easier.