Our first blog post! Since Mekki is the true initiator of our little animal sanctuary, so to speak, he naturally deserves the honor of being the subject of this post :D.

In the summer of 2021, he suddenly appeared in front of the house, a young male ram, mostly with dark fur. Without ear tags and still with his beautiful, undocked tail, he was a real beauty!

Even though he couldn’t be caught at first, he was very curious right from the start, sometimes standing on the pasture with the neighbor’s horses or greeting us at the kitchen window in the morning. And after a few days and a bit of bribing with treats, I was able to guide him onto our fenced property.

He quickly made friends with the dogs and accompanied us on our daily walks. We called him Mekki and if you called him by name, he came running more reliably than any of my dogs.

He also quickly became very trusting towards people. Walkers or other people he liked to ask loudly to give him something tasty or to cuddle him, which he enjoys almost as much.

On one of our first walks, we also came across a school class on their excursion. “Oh, how cute! What kind of animal is that?” asked one pupil. “I think it’s a goat,” replied the teacher.

A short time later, another hiker we came across asked me the same question. “Also a dog” I replied jokingly. Surprisingly, he took the answer seriously…

Many people today have little contact with animals other than dogs and cats. Even if most people still recognize them, only a few still know anything about their characteristics, peculiarities, behavior or even their needs. So-called “farm animals” in particular suffer from this, because many people thoughtlessly reach for the cheapest piece of meat in the supermarket without considering what this means for the animals and the way they are kept.

These experiences – and because Mekki, despite all his openness, should also have a few conspecifics for company – were the reason for realizing the long-cherished dream of a sanctuary for “farm animals”. So that a few of these animals can enjoy their lives naturally, freely and happily and there is one more place where people can meet them. P.s.: The expression “black sheep of the family” comes from the fact that dark and black sheep are of little value to shepherds because, unlike white sheep, wool of any desired color cannot be obtained by dyeing. We humans usually judge animals solely by their utility and financial value. Mekki says “Baa!” to this.