Norway - Day 5 - Pt.2 - Trying to Save the Kid

Reader discretion advised, disturbing depictions of an injured animal

*Hosts will be referred to as M and H. 

After visiting Haugesund, we returned to the farm feeling very hungry. Around 6 pm we went to the house to find some food. 

I had sat down to eat my soup which had taken far too long to reheat when H entered the kitchen and let us know that one of the goats was missing; they had counted that morning and were short one. H said he checked all over but needed to look again. He asked if we would help him look before the sun went down. Wanting to be helpful and also finding the idea of this exciting, thinking this goat was just lost, I eagerly obliged. 

We discussed a plan to cover the 50+ acres. H would take the road towards the goat house and follow the pond along the north side with Vakira (one of their dachshunds), and Kathleen (with Miley, the other dachshund) and I would follow the road behind the horse yard on the south side and split up. We were to look for signs of struggle, blood, fur, anything that might be from a goat. I quickly threw on some work pants and tall rubber boots and started out as dusk was approaching. 

I trudged up the stones to follow the beaten horse path. The night was peaceful and quiet and my mind wandered as I walked. I was thinking this would be a great setup to a horror movie with all of Norway’s rich folklore. Some foreign volunteers getting killed off one by one by some trolls or something like that. I snapped back to reality and began to climb a steep rocky hill some 20 yards up to get a better look. The rocks were slick and the moss slimy as I made my way up, andddd nothing. The search continued on as I wandered to the edges of the property through knee high grasses and sinking mud and gigantic boulders. 

The horse road from which I came from

Without seeing signs of anything, I decided to head back when my phone buzzed. It was a text and image from H saying he thought he saw the sheep bleeding but it got away. The image showed his location on the opposite side

of the pond. So, I quickened my pace and made my way back to the south side of the pond and back to the road. As I ran up the road to its end I heard distant bleating sounding like it was near to where H had sent his location. I hurried along and trekked through the woods to reach the other side, stomping through the mud puddles and trying my best to follow the forest path. 

By now it would be a good time to mention that this terrain is not just woods. This time of year in Norway, it rains A LOT. This makes lower areas of soil incredibly muddy and wet, along with the mosses. Along with this there are many giant boulders and rocks that cause a course correction or a steady climb to get through. 

Example of the terrain

After a few minutes I reached a small clearing of tall grasses where H had sent his location but I did not see him. I looked around to see him emerge from the woods with Vakira as he called my name asking if I saw it. I began to respond when the bleating began again. This time, an agonizing scream. Without hesitation we started towards the sound with Vakira leading the way. I tailed right behind because H knew the land better than I. We ran through the tall grass uphill and he slid under the electric wire fence like a monkey (I had to lay on my stomach and throw myself under to keep up), all the while the bleating screams were getting louder with such human-like conviction. 

Till now I am thinking that it was just an injured goat that got lost in the woods but I soon found out I was wrong as we arrived at the location of the screams. Up above us were massive boulders with a tree growing between them blocking our view so we climbed around to reach the top and H let Vakira off leash to sniff out the goat. The bleating had stopped as we approached so there was no sound to follow at this point. Above the boulders, we looked around and saw nothing. I was so confused as it sounded like the goat should’ve been right where we were standing. As we looked around, Vakira was frantically whining as she scratched at the small gap between the boulders.

She had found something. 

I quickly told H and he moved to the gap. I turned on my flashlight to see a black goat wedged between the two boulders with its horns at lead 8 inches from the top. My heart sank. It looked as if the boulders had smushed the goat together. All the while, H kept his nerves. I kept the flashlight on as he reached down, grabbing one horn with his right hand and a handful of its back in his left and pulled the goat out and laid it down on the grass to the side; It was a younger goat, not fully grown. Immediately I saw the blood on its hooves and legs and H observed saying the hooves were crushed. I quickly picked up the dog to keep her away. 

The goat lay limp in the grass as H inspected its body for wounds, his hands combing through the fur until we spotted it. My stomach soured as we watched a gray, shiny mass of thousands of maggots that had made their home on the goats lower stomach, squirming all about in the shape of a circle.

“Oh shit,” one of us muttered. 

H quickly called M to fill her in on what happened and they discussed what to do in Norwegian while Vakira squirmed and whined in my arms. H thought the goat had a chance so I looked for a way down. It wasn’t smooth but I found a rock with grass on it that we could slide down. H threw the goat over his shoulder and began to follow. I went ahead and pulled some branches back for him to pass through and we were off. By now the sunlight was almost completely gone. H led the way, goat and all, me following closely with the dog in my arms tramping through the grasses and mud. The goat began to bleat in distress but we kept going. I set Vakira down in the grass to chase behind. 

After some 100 yards H needed to set the goat down. We stopped for a moment panting and he looked at me and asked, “can you carry it?”

“Uhhhhhh, I can try!” I replied hesitantly. 

He emphasized how dire it was to get the goat back to the house so I handed H the dogzipped up my jacket, shoved my hat and phone into the pockets and zipped them up too, pulled the hood over my head and got down on my knees to try to pick him up. The poor baby was lying limp on his side, wet and scared. I awkwardly slid my right arm under his neck and shoulder and my left around his back end and stood up

“Go.”

I started to run with the goat in my arms through the dimly lit grass, rocks, and mud. At first I was fine but then my back began to tighten and my arms began to burn. It may have been a baby but it was likely 40+ pounds and very awkward. I ran and pushed through until I couldn’t and sat the goat down in the grass for H to take. I caught my breath for a moment and H slung the goat back over his shoulder and we were off again. We traded few words throughout as we tried to conserve our breath. H ran with the goat then when he tired we stopped for a moment panting. We had just about run out of all traces of daylight but we had to continue if there was any hope to save this goat’s life so I picked it up once more and we ran. 

We traded once more before we got it to the road where M was waiting with her car with Kathleen where we put him in the back and they took off towards the barn. I shot daggers at Kathleen attempting to convey the severity of everything. As we walked the dogs back to the house I was in shock from what had happened. I felt so terrible for this little goat. 

I headed over to the barn when I returned but didn’t stay long as I didn’t want to crowd and they didn’t seem like they needed a hand. I saw the goat laying down in a stall with M and H trying to tend to its wounds as a concerned group of horses watched nearby. 

The night came to a close with M having to grab a shotgun because the goat could not be saved.

We sat down and talked with M upon her return and she felt sorry we had to witness this. I held nothing against them because none of it was anyone's fault; it just was. I was really impressed by the hosts' composure and ability to take action in a situation like this. M said it was a reminder to be thankful for what we have, not to take anything for granted. This occurrence was incredibly rare.

Farm life is not all cute animals and horse rides.