Katelyn

Happy Birthday, Honey Cow!

November 10, 2021 by Katelyn

Doesn’t it make your heart sing that our “official” birthday fairy godmother’s wishes are granted for the bovines, too!? Thank you, Paulette, for sponsoring a day of sanctuary in honor of Honey Cow and her 14th birthday!

As a Jersey cow who began her life on a dairy farm, Honey’s path took a very different direction than most of the nine million plus cows who produce milk for human consumption in the U.S. Several years ago, Honey and Betsy were both purchased by TV producers for a reality series called, “Utopia”, to be used for their milk on the show. Of course, this meant that both Honey and Betsy were pregnant (with Meredith and Nutmeg) at the time and Meredith was actually born during filming.

When the series ended, they didn’t want to send Honey and her family back to the dairy industry and thankfully, Farm Sanctuary stepped in and offered a home to them all. This tiny bovine family lived at Farm Sanctuary’s Northern California shelter until 2018 when we were able to welcome them home to Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest. We just celebrated their three year arrival anniversary on the 2nd!

We often laugh because it’s so common to see farm animals who live in sanctuary enjoying sweet interactions with their caregivers like playing, receiving pets and hugs, and even just lying around together. So naturally, we couldn’t wait to get our arms around this sweet family. Of course, while all those images are true, it’s also true that bovines, just like any other living animal, have their own unique personalities, likes and dislikes, and well, personal space bubbles. This family isn’t exactly the hugging kind. And Honey is a big fan of the personal bubble. Oh, they seem to enjoy occasional scritching and scratching, a little brushing, maybe offer a few licks to bare arms, but they don’t really have a lot of use for the humans outside of meal delivery. And of course, that’s just fine. After all, that’s what sanctuary is truly about. Meeting everyone where they are at with respect and love while providing them as much agency over their lives as possible.

Honey and her family are the stars of their own show. If we’re lucky, we get to stand in the periphery and watch, maybe even truly see. While we humans were a little saddened at having our visions of cow hugging dashed, we are no less than delighted by Honey and her family every day. It’s a joy to watch the tremendous courage and adventure they’ve shown in the relatively short time they’ve been with us. And it’s a privilege to be able witness what a tight-knit family they are, to be able to watch Meredith and Nutmeg grow up and spend their lives with their mamas and to see how emotionally bonded they truly are. Just as any other family might be. A gift we don’t often get to see, and certainly one they don’t often get to live. We’re so grateful to you all for making that possible.

And thank you again, Paulette, for making Honey’s special day even more special! We truly appreciate you thinking of her.

Be sure to tune in later to hear how Honey and her family are celebrating her birthday!

Happy Birthday, beautiful Honey!:

Honey and her daughter, Meredith (background):

Meredith “smooching” her mama, Honey, with Betsy (far right):

I bet it’s safe to say Honey and her family never imagined having such strange neighbors, let alone going along on walks with them.

And while most of you may be familiar with our Chimpanzee Pal program, you may not be aware that we also have a Bovine Buddy program! So if you’d like to be, like us, a virtual cow hugger to Honey, or any of her lovely family members, click here to find out more.

Happy November Birthdays!

November 3, 2021 by Katelyn

Well, since Monday was October 32nd, and if you’re me (worshiper of all things October and Jamieween), it follows that today is October 34th, so I’m right on time with our happy birthday wishes to all our November celebrating friends and followers! We are so grateful to each of you and hope your own special days are as wonderful as you help to ensure the chimpanzees’ and bovines’ days are.

Admittedly, a birthday month following “Jamieween” leaves celebrators with a tough act to follow. But don’t fret people. You now have Lucky on your side! And believe me, you have no idea how special that is. And as if that weren’t enough, you also have Honey Cow in your birthday camp!

Lucky is turning 30 on November 6th and we cannot wait to celebrate this beautiful chimpanzee woman! We are still getting to know Lucky and her five family members, just as they are still getting to know all of us. As is the case for most of us when, well, pretty much everything about our life as we’ve known it suddenly changes in one fell swoop, our personalities tend to take time to shine in their full light again while we make sure that we’re safe and settled. While some of Lucky’s family members are a little more front and center, like her look-alike brother and seeming alpha of the six, Cy, or endearing and animated, Terry, Lucky is someone who has been quietly taking in her new life in her own way and time. But make no mistake, she is no less present. She is kind and patient with her chimpanzee and human friends. And once you’ve earned a bit of her trust, she’ll swing right over and sit as close to you as she can, gazing at you, just as you cannot help but gaze in return, full of awe.

One thing Lucky loves is to have her belly knuckle-rubbed by her caregivers during greetings or times of excitement. We’ve also learned that she appears to really enjoy wearing scarves she finds in the chimpanzees’ daily enrichment that we put out. And tomatoes! Lucky loves tomatoes! While not quite Missy level tomato love, it could still be coming.

Thinking about Lucky, I find myself thinking of one of my most beloved poets, Mary Oliver, and specifically, her reverence for attention. Of being present, looking more deeply and “seeing through the heavenly visibles, to the heavenly invisibles.” That’s Lucky. She holds a quiet beauty all her own that can’t be missed. But she also holds an as of yet ineffable grace behind those beautiful eyes, in her being. All you have to do is be present, pay attention, and you will immediately see just how very special she is.

As with most months now, we have a bevy of celebrations to look forward to and be grateful for! On November 2nd we’ll be celebrating our tiny bovine family’s 3rd arrival anniversary. They’ve bravely embraced, and are thriving in, what I endearingly refer to as their mountain cattle lifestyle.

When they first arrived from California, they naturally weren’t so accustomed to our wintry weather and hilly property. It understandably took them some time to quite literally get their legs under them in their ice and snow-covered pasture. But just yesterday, they were all grazing comfortably in the rain of a chilly November day when Diana and I watched them all suddenly race past the office window, Betsy leading the uphill charge into the trees above their winter pasture, on some secret bovine mission. (Honestly, I’m not sure Nutmeg, Honey or Meredith knew what the mission was either, but they diligently followed Betsy!).

(L-R) Meredith, Honey, Nutmeg and Betsy:

And oh my gosh, you should just see the luxurious floof of their winter coats coming in. They are literally glowing. Try to run your fingers through that floof though and they will have some words with you, especially Honey, lover of her personal space. Which brings us to our second November celebration at the sanctuary, beautiful Honey is turning 14 on November 10th!: