Cow Lieni
The Aiderbichler Christmas miracle
Around midday on 24 December, the phone rang at the head office in Henndorf. An excited animal rights activist was on the other end of the line, telling the story of an escaped cow. Action had to be taken quickly so that she didn’t end up at the slaughterhouse on Christmas Eve…
But now back to the beginning of the story: Lieni had run away from the butcher on 24 December and was running for her life. She didn’t know where to go, she didn’t know how far, she just started running. She had probably already sensed what the day would mean for her… She came to a halt in a large meadow near a village inn. There was also a fence here. And right on the other side of the fence stood Lieni’s saviour, the lady who couldn’t believe that another cow was to be slaughtered on Christmas Eve.
She acted quickly and rang us directly. She also stayed put so as not to expose the nervous Lieni to any more danger.
What could be better than an animal rescue on Christmas Eve?
Lieni was bought free from the butcher and our team set off. Our employees didn’t hesitate for a second. They travelled straight from decorating the Christmas tree with the family. A nice stable with lots of straw had already been prepared for Lieni in the meantime. Fortunately, we were able to convince the young cow to come with us relatively quickly. She probably sensed that a nice and quiet life was now waiting for her. At the nearby Gut Aiderbichl Kilb, Lieni was able to rest for the time being until she would move to her new home at Gut Aiderbichl Henndorf in a few weeks’ time.
A new home for Lieni: Gut Aiderbichl Henndorf
Finally, after a few weeks of familiarisation and trust-building, Lieni was able to move into Gut Aiderbichl Henndorf in February. The transport was completely carefree and she was very curious about her new home. After a few days of sniffing around with the other cattle, Lieni was allowed to become part of the Henndorf cattle herd. The head of the herd is our Bandit, who was freed from tethering a few years ago. However, Lieni did not choose the big and famous Bandit as his favourite friend, but our Sky. Sky is six years old and was born too small, which is why he was unsuitable for breeding. However, the farmer’s wife became so fond of Sky from the very first second that she turned to Gut Aiderbichl. Lieni feels particularly at home next to her Sky. But she also knows how to defend herself on her own and has completely arrived in her new herd. The next time you visit Gut Aiderbichl Henndorf, take a closer look – you’re sure to recognise Lieni right away among our cattle. She is full of self-confidence and joie de vivre, surrounded by her new family.
Lieni’s rescue should make everyone think. Let’s think about the many cattle transports and how much suffering there is in the lorries. Let us learn to have respect again for all the life that nature gives us. In this context, the words of our founder Michael Aufhauser could not be more appropriate:
Even if we could protect animals from us humans, we would have achieved nothing. We will only have achieved something when we no longer have to protect animals from us humans. Then we will have changed something: “Us!”.
