The story of Hanni and Mogli Junior - mother and son, who moved in with us a few weeks ago - is not really a classic rescue story. And yet it is a story with Happy end for father, mother and children.
The story began with me and Angelina, the chairwoman of Schokuhminza e.V., was on the road for an initiative called "Kuhnection". The aim of the initiative is to show farmers an alternative in the form of a cow boarding farm instead of traditional livestock farming.
Together we visited a farmer who I have known for a long time via social media. The farmer runs what is known as a suckler cow farm, where the bull, cows and calves live together in a herd. We had many valuable conversations in the middle of this herd of cows. I was particularly impressed by the calm that this herd spread, which of course speaks for how the farmer treats his animals.
First of all the herd bull Fridolin. He immediately cast a spell over me. Never before had I met such a gentle bull in person.
And then the heartbreaking information that made me very sad: the slaughter date for Fridolin had already been set and was planned just a few days after this meeting.
We continued to discuss the boarding model, the possibility of cow sponsorship and Fridolin again and again. It was obvious how heavy Fridolin's planned slaughter date was on the family's hearts.
Before we drove home, Angelina said to me: "I don't think Fridolin is going to die." - and thus expressed my thoughts.
Fridolin should live
Just a few days later, I spoke to the farmer again on the phone. Even though he decided against converting the farm to a cow boarding model for the time being, he also made a different decision: Fridolin will stay - forever! The planned slaughter date was canceled.
Full of joy at the decision, I immediately took on a sponsorship for Fridolin. In the meantime, other people have joined me in supporting Fridolin's forever home in this way.
I went there again shortly afterwards. To visit my new godchild, but above all to talk about a completely different topic....
I told the farmer about my very personal heart's desire: I wanted to rescue a pregnant cow.
As a child, I was often present when calves were born. Without exception, they were separated directly from their mothers. Almost all of the cows that live on our sanctuary today also grew up without their mothers.
I had a deep desire to experience how mother and calf can grow up together and stay together forever. I wanted a cow that may have already lost many calves to experience exactly that. And I wish all the people who follow our stories on social media could experience exactly that - how it could actually be.
The cow Hanni and her son Mogli
But things turned out differently: instead of a cow, which was certainly pregnant, the family suggested that Hanni and her five-month-old son Mogli could move in with us and told me the story of the two of them while he held Hanni in his arms.
Hanni, just under ten years old at the time, was the oldest cow in the herd and had already given birth to eight calves. According to the farmer, it was time for her to retire. But he didn't want to have her slaughtered. The whole family had grown too fond of the cow.
Little Mogli also had a special story. There were complications at birth and the calf almost died. The farmer fought for the little one's life for days, promising him: If he survived, he wouldn't die.
An examination by the vet had shown that Hanni was in all probability not pregnant...
A forever-home for mother and son
The story of the two went straight to the heart and it was clear to me: The rescue of a pregnant cow will have to wait!
A few weeks later, Hanni and little Mogli moved in with us. As we already had an ox called Mogli in the herd at the time, the little bull became Mogli Junior - or simply Junior.
Since then, there has never been a day when I have doubted this decision. The two of them are a truly enriching addition to our family. To experience mother and son together so lovingly and to know that they can stay together forever is very special.
Hanni shows incredible trust in me. I often sit with her and she falls fast asleep on my lap. Junior has also become a good friend to us all and has already made close friends in the herd.
Happy End
That alone would be a happy ending for Fridolin, Hanni and Mogli Junior. But...
... another miracle is also growing up. A further examination shortly after moving in has turned out: Hanni is pregnant after all and will have another calf in a few months.
The joy that Junior will have another sibling is naturally great. We look forward to the future of this little family with great anticipation.
When I wrote the news to the farmer, he replied: "I'll have to tell Fridolin about this...".
Saving one animal doesn't change the whole world, but the whole world changes for that one animal.
... and ours a little bit every time, too.
Yours Joar
Cow Hanni moves in with her son Mogli Junior
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