Let me explain.
Our baby lambs were born in the Tree Paddock, down the back of our property, near Dragon Lane.
It's the most sheltered spot on the property, but it's also the furthest away from where I give the sheep hay, from the best water, and from where I pass out extra food when the animals need it.
Our three other ewes protected the new mother when she left her babies to come get some grain. I would have brought it to her where she was, but sheep (like people) are creatures of habit, and are used to doing things the same way, day in day out.
They came to get her when I appeared, figuring that the goodies were coming (treat time!), and ushered her to the food, past the males.
Then the three other ewes stood around the new mother, and let her feed first, something I have never seen before. Usually it is a free for all food-fest, but not this time. This time, new Mum went first.
The other ewes also kept our two males away from her, and I watched with interest as the males, for the first time, kept their distance. They didn't get to eat until mum had fed. Not a chance, the way she was protected!
While this was going on, the lambs were back in the Tree Paddock, all unprotected in theory, but one of the ewes had placed herself between the males and the Tree Paddock, as a sentry.
The gate was closed, and the males couldn't get in, but she was being extra-protective. There was no way those males could get past to the babies, or to the new mother.
When new Mum had finished eating, the other ewes literally formed an "honour guard" around her, and escorted her back to her babies, one on each side of her, and one behind. You couldn't have got a more precise operation in an army!
I've never seen anything like it, and watched, entranced.
I wish I could have taken movies, but frankly, I was so stunned at all this that taking film was the last thing on my mind.
Finally, all four ewes waited patiently for me to open the gate to the Tree Paddock again, and the new Mum went through to her babies. She checked each of them, sniffing carefully, then licking them, then she fed them.
Dumb animals? Who is dumb - us or them?
In the last few days, I've seen things that have really changed my mind about sheep.
Sheep are not dumb animals. I think now I have to question whether there is any animal that is dumb on the planet, having seen what I have seen. Sheep aren't supposed to be as bright as pigs or dolphins - so what might those animals be capable of?
Maybe we're misjudging everything - especially the theoretical "gap" between humans and other animals. Maybe intelligence is more like a spectrum, a rainbow of ability and understanding.
Maybe no animals are dumb, if we're smart enough to see what they really are.
Except maybe humans. Maybe we're the dumb ones? Because we've been raising sheep for thousands of years, and yet, with this sort of intelligent, social behaviour going on all around us, we're still foolish enough to call sheep "dumb"!
Everything I've seen with our ewes has reminded me, more than anything, of my own experiences as a mother. I relate to and acknowledge what our mother ewes go through because, as a mum, I can see so many similarities.
Maybe it is time for us to re-think how we treat animals, if we're to consider ourselves truly civilised.
For now, I know that I'll never call a sheep "dumb". I've seen too much, and I know better.
Have a lovely day!
7 comments:
How beautiful. Everything you said is so true. I often think how "dumb" we humans are. We are the ones who wreck what we have and keep doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result. Great Post. Next time this happens - and it will in the future again - you may be prepared enough to video it. Cheers, Wendy
I agree. We need to reassess our position amoungst all living things. We are not apart from nature, be are an intergral part of it.
BTW, Steve Fielding was dumb ;-)
Gav x
That is just an adorable story!
One thing about animal intelligence, is that we may be judging them on human standards of what intelligence is, rather than accepting that different things may count as intelligence for their species. One of my rats came across as the biggest ditz, but as I got to know her better, I saw the things which were 'ditzy' through a different light, and realised she was an intelligent rat, just not in the way I'd expect.
I agree absolutely. I feel like a lot of the natural instincts and intuition that we see in our animals has been "bred out" of us humans!
Who among us ladies could do for ourselves what a ewe or a doe (or a house cat, for that matter!) does in her time of delivering babies?
They listen to their instincts and work together as a flock. Why can't we do more of that?
Hi Wendy - Next time I'll have my camera ready - I hope! :-)
But yes, we're not too good at learning, are we? :-(
Hi Gavin - Okay, yes, Steve Fielding was a particularly dumb example of a sheep. I suppose every species has them - or maybe it just goes with the name ;-)
But yes, we need to rethink a lot of things. The more I learn about animals and interact with them, the more humbled by them I become, and the more ashamed I am of how my species has treated others.
Hi Pennie - Rats are a classic example of animals we don't give any credit to at all, yet are actually quite smart.
I really don't think we'll ever be a sustainable species until we respect other inhabitants of our planet.
I'm really starting to sound extremist, aren't I? But really it is just common sense - we need to be humble, if we're going to be a part of our world, instead of trying to domineer over it and destroy it (and ourselves).
Just my 2c. But what would I know? I only work with animals!
Hi Michelle - I think, over the next few decades, we're really going to have to deal with these big questions. I don't know what the answers are.
What a wonderful post - I can imagine you standing there absorbing at all.
Michelle xxx
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