The sheep Paula tells ...
I'm doing well here!
The number of sheep that find a new home at Gut Aiderbichl is constantly increasing. We currently have around 300 rescued sheep on our farms. These include the domestic sheep, the Hungarian Zackel sheep and the endangered black-nosed sheep. Little Paula joined our flock of sheep in Henndorf at the beginning of April.
Paula was an extremely shy and quiet sheep
An animal lover wanted to save Paula from being slaughtered. There was a risk of inbreeding and therefore Paula should not have continued to live. Dieter Ehrengruber immediately agreed to take her in, and so an attempt was made to lure the small, shy Paula onto the Aiderbichl transporter and drive her to Henndorf.
“… Yes, what would you say if you realised that people were up to something? A lady in a red jacket arrived in a red car. There was a lot of straw inside the car. Huh? The lady in the red jacket was good to me. Everyone was good to me. But why did they want to lead me out of the stable? With a funny thing round my neck?”.
Inbreeding among the animals
Inbreeding occurs, for example, when siblings mate and have young. Siblings share 50% of their genetic information. This means that any hereditary diseases can be passed on from the mother and father. If genes with defects meet, a disability can arise. This is why Paula should have died.
Little Paula was carefully lured onto the transporter. She was very anxious and had pulled her short tail under her belly.
“All right, I’ll go with you then. The lady in the red jacket stroked me a lot and tried to allay my fears. I don’t know where she’s taking me. But here in the car with all the straw, it smells so good of horses, cows and sheep. I just go along for the ride!”.
Health check with Paula
When animals are admitted, our vet carries out a health check. Until the results are available, we leave the animals alone in a stable box for a few days so that there is no risk of infection with a possible disease. Everything was fine and Paula joined the group of Hungarian Zackel sheep, Blacknose sheep and our domestic sheep.
“Yes, who have we got here? A young black sheep with a white spot on its head and mouth. I’m Dewey, who are you?”. Dewey came to Aiderbichl because his mum had rejected him. He is a particularly clever and sensitive sheep with black fur.
“I am Paula. Hello, can you stay with me for a while? I need a friend right now”. Dewey became one of Paula’s best friends.
“To be a blameless member of a flock of sheep, one must above all be a sheep”. (Albert Einstein)
Little Paula has definitely recognised this and loves her friends around her. The development is wonderful when you consider how shy and timid Paula was in the flock at the beginning and when you realise how self-confident and strong Paula has become.
It is only thanks to your help and support that we can give animals like Paula a forever home. Please continue to support us with a symbolic sponsorship or a small donation. Thank you very much.
