Ismael López, uno de los fundadores de Santuario Gaia, contaba esto en su facebook personal:
“El rescate de Samuel fue uno de los momentos más duros de mi vida.
Llegamos con miedo, con esperanza, con ilusión, con prisas por si se arrepentían de dárnoslo, pero lo que no imaginaba es que tenía que elegir entre dos terneros que eran hermanos y estaban juntos en la misma jaula. El ganadero solo nos dejaba llevarnos a uno.
Como hacía poco que murió Aida, una ternera que rescatamos y no sobrevivió por el mal estado en el que estaba, decidí no llevarme a Samuel porque se le veía muy débil, así que fui a coger a su hermano que parecía mucho más sano, pero el cual estaba en la parte de atrás y sin mirar.
Acaricié a Samuel y le pedí perdón por dejarlo ahí y llevarme a su hermano, pero en el momento que fui a levantar a ese ternero para salvarle la vida, Samuel se levantó para escaparse de la jaula en la que estaban los dos. En ese instante mi corazón dio un suspiro porque ya no elegía yo, sino que lo único que tenía que hacer era llevarme al que quería irse, así que cogí en brazos a Samuel, cerré los ojos y dije: se ha venido él.
En el camino de vuelta Coque y yo continuamente nos mirábamos sin hablar, no hacía falta hablar porque nuestras miradas ya lo decían todo. Estábamos contentos por Samuel, pero no podíamos exteriorizarlo porque allí habíamos dejado a su hermano, a decenas de terneros que iban a ir al matadero y cientos de vacas hacinadas que estaban siendo explotadas.
Samuel ya tiene dos años, es un ternero feliz y grande, pero cuando le miro a los ojos me acuerdo de ese momento en el que no pude salvar a su hermano ni a su madre. Estoy convencido que él sabe lo que pienso y lo que siento, y lo se porque en esos momentos él apoya su cabeza en mi pecho, calmando el dolor que siente mi corazón.”
Vídeo del rescate de Samuel: https://vimeo.com/73257396
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Ismael López, Santuario Gaia co-founder, explained this on his personal Facebook:
“Samuel’s rescue was one of the hardest moments in my life.
When we got there, we were fearful but full of hope, excited but rushing and worried in case the farmer changed his mind. However, what I could not imagine was that I would have to chose one of the two sibblings that were sharing the same crate. The farmer only allowed us to take one of them.
Aida, a female calf we rescued, had recently passed away because of the poorly condition she was in at her arrival. Samuel looked very weak too, and I decided not to choose him. His brother looked healthier, and I went to pick him up. He stayed at the further end of the crate and didn’t even look at us.
I petted Samuel and ask him to forgive me for leaving him there and taking his brother instead. When I went to raise his brother up in my arms, Samuel got up and tried to get away from the crate they were sharing. On that precise moment, my heart was relieved because it wasn’t my choice anymore, the only thing I had to do was taking the one that wanted to be saved. I then picked Samuel up, closed my eyes and said: he’s been the one who has come to us.
On our way back, Coque and I were continously stearing at each other but could not say a word. Words were not needed because our eyes said it all. We were happy for Samuel, but couldn’t let our joy out because we had left his brother behind. Not only him, but dozens of calves who were going to be slaughtered, and hundreds of confined cows who were being exploited.
Samuel it’s two years old now. He’s a big, happy calf, but when I look into his eyes I remember that moment when I couldn’t save neither his brother nor his mother. I’m sure he knows how I feel, and I know it because it is then that he leans his head on muy chest soothing the pain in my heart.
Video from Samuel’s rescue: https://vimeo.com/73257396
