14 | October• 2018
Smart Animals
You could earn cash by telling us
about the antics of unique pets or
wildlife.Turntopage8for details
on how to contribute.BythetimeWoollywascompletely
blind,shehadlearnedtodependon
her daughter.
Cloudynevermovedfarfrom
Woolly and checked on her
frequently. She led her to good
pasturetograzeandtothewater
troughwhensheneededtodrink.
heybothrespondedtomyvoice,
comingtothefencefortreatswhen
Icalled.Inhowlinggalesandcold
winter storms, Cloudy would walk
alongside Woolly, guiding her to
the shelter of manuka scrub or
into the barn.
A decade later, Cloudy’s anguishedEWEGOTAFRIENDINME
ROSEMARY FRANCIS
Woollywasalreadyanelderlyewe
when we inherited her in 2000. Her
daughter,Cloudy,wasalsooneof
thesmallmobweadopted.hey
both quickly settled in their new
paddocks on New Zealand’s Banks
Peninsulaandwerecontenttoshare
thehillsideswithapig,adonkey,
severalgoatsandafewllamas.
Afterseveralyearswenoticed
Woolly wasn’t able to keep up w it h
thelock.Shestumbledoccasionally
andbangedintofenceposts.Wealso
sawthatCloudywasstayingcloseto
hermother’sside.So,weputadog
collar on Cloudy and added some
bells. As Woolly’s eyesight started
deteriorating, she listened for the
tinkling bells moving towards them.
On land and in water, animals can be very intuitiveILLUSTRATIONS: GETTY IMAGES