Animals
Blind, Lonely and Ignored by All Other Animals, This Bison Finally Found a Friend
Helen, a blind bison, seemed destined to a sad life of loneliness.
(TMU) — Helen, a blind bison, spent years at Oregon’s Lighthouse Farm Sanctuary without making any friends. Her blindness likely contributed to her being nervous and suspicious of the other animals living at the sanctuary. And the other animals definitely did not smell like bison and she had no way of determining whether they were friend or foe.
Helen seemed destined to a sad life of loneliness.
To everyone’s surprise, everything changed when Oliver, a young Jersey Calf, arrived at the sanctuary. Oliver was naturally curious and approached Helen without fear. Soon he managed to break though her self-imposed barriers she created to protect herself.
Helen’s maternal instincts may simply have been triggered by Oliver and, in no time at all, he earned her trust and they became best friends.
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Helen, it seems, adopted Oliver and the two became inseparable. Surprisingly, as he grew Oliver’s fur started to change color to match Helen’s.
“He’s actually turned into a baby buffalo,” Lighthouse Sanctuary’s Gwen Jakubisin told USA Today. “The change in her demeanor is incredible, her joy is palpable.”
Jakubisin likens the relationship to that of a nanny lovingly caring for a baby. “Betsy (Oliver’s mom) usually drops Oliver off at ‘daycare’ and roams around while Helen watches over him for the rest of day, and she’s cool with that,” she said.
“I catch them grooming each other which is amazing because I don’t think Helen has ever had that opportunity to express that motherly instinct before.”
The pair’s friendship was so strong and it gave Helen confidence to approach and befriend other animals at the sanctuary as well.
Dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation, and under suitable circumstances the rehoming abused and neglected farmed animals, the sanctuary houses over 200 animals including pigs, cows, horses, chickens, sheep, goats, and of course a bison.
Their mission of helping “shine a light on the realities of animal agriculture and lead the way to a more compassionate world’’ is done through aiding meaningful relationships between people and the animals that they care for.
“At Lighthouse Farm Sanctuary we believe that every individual has the right to freedom,” they write. “Freedom from pain, freedom from fear, and freedom from oppression. We provide those with the most heartbreaking stories hope and the promise of the freedom to be themselves. A promise of companionship, of love, and of care.”
“Our sanctuary is home to 250 non-human animals who have seen the very worst of humanity and every day they amaze us with their profound abilities to love and to be loved, even after the tragedies they have endured. Our goal is to share their stories with the community and bring about positive change in the way they are viewed by society.”
“By fostering beautiful, meaningful bonds between people and the animals they may see as “food” or as “things” we are changing the future for the individuals who mean so much to us.”
“People who visit and volunteer at the sanctuary often comment on the unique sense of peace they feel when being here. All of our residents cohabitate peacefully and have strong friendships with one another. They know they are safe and loved. We like to call it a kind of magic created by love, trust, and understanding.”
The Lighthouse Farm Sanctuary provides a safe and loving environment and restores the trust of animals who previously suffered at the hands of humans.
Click though this link if you would like to support the sanctuary’s important work.
By Jade Small | Creative Commons | TheMindUnleashed.com
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