Meet Greta & Annabelle!

GRETA & ANNABELLE’S STORY

I, Greta, was hand-reared at a local farm  but they couldn’t keep me so I came to the Ark on 3rd March 2022 aged 2 years. I had an infected knee and footrot and was very lame, leaning on my elbows to eat and I’d lost weight. At the beginning my new friemds at the Ark weren’t sure of the outcome. They got the vet out to me immediately and started treatment of antibiotics, pain relief and I had an X-ray. I still have some lameness but am 90% better and have good quality of life again.

They didn’t want me to be on my own as goats like company so 2 year-old Annabelle was adopted as company and to give me a better life. I am the one with the tan on my head and Annabelle is lighter coloured.The two of us bonded immediately and looked like we’d always been together. The pair of us make a very mischievous team; we’re cheeky and inquisitive We have free range around the Ark but it was soon found that we are escape artists so now there have to be certain limits on where we go, depending on what is happening on site.

There have almost always been goats at the Ark, and since the previous goats died, everybody missed them and are happy to have goats back on site and os girls definitely make everyone smile with our antics!

What the Ark says about us

They are a double act of naughtiness and like to keep everyone entertained, by doing various cheeky things, such as stealing snacks, breaking into the hay shed and banging on the feed room door. If it has gone quiet down at the stables, you know that they are up to mischief. Wes definitely love them though, and they get lots of special treats from us, even Biscoff biscuits from time to time if they bug us enough!

Greta came into the Ark when she was young, with foot rot, lice and an arthritic knee. She was really poorly and took lots of nursing to come round and still walks with a bit of a limp. But this definitely does not affect her quality of life. She have always been really friendly, because humans have always been so hands on with her over her health. She’s very confident and doesn’t take any nonsense from Annabelle, or even the donkeys. she’s quite a toughie. Although cheeky, she am also quite loving and loves a good bum scratch.

Annabelle came into the Ark to be Greta’s friend. When she first arrived, she was very scared. Staff could barely get near her.She’s always been so springy and would jump up things and off them –  great fun, but it made it even harder to get near her. Slowly, she began to see humans as nice things, and now she’s really confident. She’s actually more of a menace than Greta; staff have to hide the horse feeds and hand them out as quickly as they can before she gets them. Earlier this year, she developed an abscess on the side of face face. She was quite poorly, and had to have antibiotics injected butr was a very good girl which made it easier for us. She’s fully recovered now though, and cheekier than ever!