Obituary goat Moritz
Moritz, a black dwarf goat, was only one year old when he became an Aiderbichler because of a very sad experience. At his tender age, he had to watch as his best goat friend got caught in a fence and couldn’t get free. Moritz stood by and couldn’t help. His friend lost the fight for his life, Moritz lost his best friend. He was petrified when the owners found him completely traumatised.
So seven years ago, Moritz became the new flatmate of the goat stable in Henndorf. Goats are highly sensitive animals and they realised quite quickly that their new friend must have experienced something bad because he was so sad and reserved.
However, the situation soon improved. When the stable doors in the goat pen were opened in the morning, Moritz was among the first to enter. Quick as the wind, Moritz and his friends scurried around the farmyard to find out if anything special had happened overnight that needed to be explored.
Moritz became more and more confident and charmingly greeted the visitors to Gut Aiderbichl. He stood still, held his black head slightly askew and always seemed to be smiling. He loved to stand in the spring sunshine in front of the main stable lane and doze off in the warm sun. When the people gathered for the tour, he would pretend he was still asleep until he realised that he was the one being told about. Then he suddenly made himself important and sniffed at the bags to see if there might be a piece of carrot hidden somewhere.
He was particularly adept at rummaging through prams. He quickly realised what good things could be found there and was often given what was hidden inside. Then Moritz was satisfied and went his way again.
A very special time for Moritz was the warm summer days when tables, benches and parasols were set up. Moritz didn’t lie down under the table to protect himself from the sun. No, he lay down comfortably in the middle of the table and the large parasol protected him from the scorching hot sun. It was often as if he was signalling: “Stupid goat, my arse! I already know what’s good for me!”
Our Moritz was always in a good mood, which is why the animal keepers immediately noticed that the little goat had changed. He seemed tired and listless. The vets diagnosed chronic intestinal inflammation, which unfortunately turned out to be incurable. The best medication brought no improvement and Moritz gave us the sign that he had no more strength. With a heavy heart, the team decided to let our Moritz go peacefully.
These are always the moments and decisions where a little piece of our own hearts dies with us humans. Nobody wanted to believe that there was no solution for Moritz. He lay quietly in the straw, a blanket warming his little body and his keepers were with him as his little heart beat more and more quietly …
When a friend dies, something of you dies too.
– Gustave Flaubert
Dear Moritz,
Your life at Gut Aiderbichl runs like a film in our hearts. You came to us dead and sad, you have quickly found new couragehereand lead a safe and secure lifehere. It is incredibly hard for us to have lost you.
No more mischievous looks, no more quiet grumbling when you wanted to be stroked, no more secretly stealing bits of carrot.
Tears are flowing right now for a wonderful goat called Moritz: WWe will never forget you. Now you are with goat Tati, who was a special friend to you. Take care, dear Moritz.
