Bonnie, a 4-month-old cow, decided to choose her own fate. Born on a farm in upstate New York, the baby cow became a local legend. It started when she was a calf a few years ago.
Due to the farm’s owner’s death, all cows were ready to be slaughtered. But when the herd was placed onto the trucks, Bonnie ran away into the forest. People had been looking for her for days. When winter came, everyone assumed she was gone.
According to Farm Sanctuary’s Meredith Turner-Smith, Bonnie immediately became a local celebrity, separating the Holland community into two groups: those who were ‘Team Bonnie’ and others who were desperate to catch her. “Both groups looked for her in the woods, which remained buried beneath 3 feet of snow all winter, but she remained hidden.”
Months after Bonnie fled, wildlife cameras showed a young cow hanging through forests near Holland, New York. The fleeing cow was adopted by a wild deer family and nurtured as one of their own.
It was as if the deer helped Bonnie live and welcomed her as one of their own. Turner-Smith said.
However, Farm Sanctuary volunteers recognized that a domesticated animal would struggle to survive in the woods during the winter. They agreed to help Bonnie because she seemed to have found love and comfort.
According to Turner-Smith, a neighbor helped her survive the winter by delivering food, water, and blankets to her on a sled every day. Following Bonnie’s trust, she approached Farm Sanctuary for assistance.
After several futile attempts, the sanctuary personnel finally transported Bonnie to the center. “Bonnie overcame the odds.” “Here, our brave new companion will live in peace, surrounded by loving humans and rescued cattle.”
h/t: Farm Sanctuary | thedodo
