Joe is a down-to-earth and simple farmer who takes pride in his farm and animals. He was a man of habit and his routine had been the same for years. This is why he was surprised when he found out one morning that one of his cows was missing.
Source: Daily Story
He had never lost an animal before so he found the circumstances suspicious. After eight months, he finally sees his cow. When he approaches it, he realizes something. The nightmare of every farmer became a reality for Joe and he wished he had found her sooner.
An unexpected call
A few days after one of his cows had gone missing, Joe still had no clue what happened. He loved that cow but he can’t afford to waste time looking for one cow – he had a farm to run and a lot of animals to tend to. He had no choice but to move on.
Source: Daily Story
As a farmer, Joe wakes up at four in the morning to start doing his chores. So, when his phone started ringing at five in the morning, he was already busy at work. His hands were very dirty so he decided to ignore the call.
A call from an old intern
Joe continued working on as usual until it was time for lunch. He returned home and prepared himself a hearty meal, the phone call from earlier was already forgotten in his mind. And just when he was about to wash his dishes, his phone rang again.
Source: Daily Story
It’s his old intern, Harry! Harry happened to be working on his farm at about the same time the cow had disappeared eight months ago. Harry started out asking him courtesy questions first. Wanting him to get to the point, Joe asked him why was he calling.
He sounded anxious
Harry then sighed and told him he saw a cow standing near the swamp side of the woods. It looked very similar to Joe’s missing cow and he called to let him know just in case. Joe asked what the cow looked like and Harry’s description was definitely a match.
Source: Daily Story
Harry’s voice was shaking, as if he was afraid of something. Joe asked him what was wrong and Harry warned him that it might not be safe to retrieve the cow. Joe could not understand. He asked for more information but Harry suddenly hangs up.
Heading to the woods
Joe decides to take the afternoon off and head to the swamp side of the woods. But when he reached the woods, he realized this was no easy task. The woods was more swamp than forest now and he was no longer familiar with the area.
Source: Daily Story
Joe had no idea how long he had been walking and exploring the woods. He glanced up at the sky and estimates that it would be twilight soon. He had to make a choice – go further in the dark or return tomorrow. Joe decided it was best and safer to go home.
Getting ready for his quest
The next day, Joe continued going about his usual routine but this time, he tried to rush through everything, determined to start his quest of retrieving his cow once again. He started packing some gear and other things he might need.
Source: Daily Story
Before leaving, Joe tried to call Harry hoping to get more information out of him. To his dismay, the phone just kept ringing. Joe had no idea where to look exactly in the woods but it looks like this was a problem he would have to figure out on his own.
Seeing something form a distance
As Joe reached the woods, he decided to go a different direction this time. After almost an hour of walking, he starts to see something in the distance. There was an area that had a perimeter made out of ribbons. As Joe got closer, he sees a cow.
Source: Daily Story
Could it be his cow? Joe started running towards it. But before he gets close enough to see if it was really his cow, he felt somebody pull on his arm to stop him. Joe turns and sees that it was somebody from animal control who told him to keep his distance.
He was sure it was his cow
Joe told the man that the cow might be his missing cow. But the man from animal control told him that there is something important going on that is bigger than the issue of the cow’s ownership. Joe was asked to leave the premises.
Source: Daily Story
Joe was about to leave but when he looked over his shoulder to take one last look at the cow, he realized something. This was his cow! Joe knew he needed to find answers but how could he know what was going on when he can’t get close?
Finding another way in
Joe tried to find another way in. The animal control men seem to be only focused on one side of the perimeter. Joe decided to walk around and reach the cow from the other side. He knew he could be arrested but at this point, he decided to take the risk.
Source: Daily Story
Joe was able to walk around the perimeter. He was on the other side now and he could clearly see the animal control team and the cow from where he was hidden in the bushes. Joe tried to creep closer to the cow without getting caught.
He was spotted
As Joe gets closer, he observes something about his cow. It was behaving unnaturally! He could not explain how exactly but he could tell that something was wrong. Lost in his confusion, Joe was not able to notice that animal control had spotted him.
Source: Daily Story
Joe estimated that he could get to his cow first before animal control could catch him. But Joe did not know that this was a big operation. As soon as the guy shouted, “Stop that man!” Three more guys from other sides of the woods suddenly appeared.
Getting caught
Joe was surprised and knew that there was no way he could escape this time. So he stood and put his hands up in surrender. Despite getting caught, he now was close enough to the cow to confirm that it was his.
Source: Daily Story
Joe tried to think quickly as the men from animal control approached. Technically, he was not breaking any laws plus he owned the cow so he had a right to it. But without any witnesses in the middle of the woods, who knew what these men could do to him?.
Trying to talk it out
Joe knows it was best to cooperate. So when the first guy reached him, he tried to talk. He started with a heartfelt apology for rushing towards the cow. He explained how he took care of the cow ever since it was young and how worried he had been when it went missing.
Source: Daily Story
Joe could tell his sincerity was working. He could feel the group’s vibe calm down compared to their angry approach earlier. Although they were sympathetic, the men from animal control also told him that he still was not allowed to get near the cow until they receive further instructions.
Why was animal control involved?
But since Joe was the owner of the cow, they let him stick around – maybe they would need his help later. They told Joe they had only encountered the cow a couple days ago. A hiker had seen it wandering in the woods and called animal control after seeing its condition.
Source: Daily Story
They had no idea how long the cow was in the woods. Joe told them that it had gone missing eight months ago and this was very useful information. They all agreed it was a miracle that the cow survived in the woods that long although it had lost weight.
It refuses to leave
Animal control tried to lure the cow to a healthier area of the woods but it refuses to leave. It seemed like the cow was staying in the swampy area out of its own free will. Animal control told Joe that the cow was not moving for a reason.
Source: Daily Story
It seemed to be protecting something and did not want anybody to come close. When Joe asked what was the cow protecting, the men hesitated. The leader of the group told him that was all the information they were allowed to tell. They could not go any further.
He had every right
The leader then asked if he had proof that the cow was his. Joe said that there was an identity code on the collar. The cow was also burn-marked and numbered. He also had all the documentation back at his farm.
Source: Daily Story
As Joe started saying this, he realized that he could submit this proof to the local court to have his cow back. Animal control would be violating the law by refusing him to access his property. When Joe pointed this out, the men started to feel mad.
The approach
In the end, they made a compromise. They will allow Joe to go near his cow as long as he did not touch whatever it was that she was protecting. Joe could see the cow starting to react to his approach. It was like it looked angry and afraid at the same time.
Source: Daily Story
Joe was not even sure if the cow recognized him. The cow charged at Joe when he set foot in the cow’s “territory.” Joe immediately took a few steps back. When he did that, the cow seemed to calm down a little. Did she finally recognize her owner?
She recognizes him
Joe tried to approach the cow again and this time the cow did not charge – in fact, she seemed to welcome him. The animal control team was watching from a distance and they could not believe it. How did this stubborn farmer manage to approach the aggressive cow?
Source: Daily Story
As Joe got closer, he hesitantly reached out his hand to his cow. The cow nuzzled its face against it. Joe was relieved and laughed. His cow still recognizes him after all this time. Then, Joe finally saw what was the cow protecting all this time and why it refuses to leave.
What was the cow protecting?
Below the cow, he could make out a small animal drinking from its udders – but it was not a little calf. Instead, it was a wolf – a protected and rare species in the area. A predator that farmers wanted going because these wolves often creep into farms and kill their livestock.
Source: Daily Story
The wolf cub’s mother must have been killed by one of the farmers and the cub was left to die alone in the wild. But the cow’s mother’s intuition must have kicked in when she encountered the young creature and decided to take care of the wolf cub.
Maternal instincts
It suddenly made sense. Joe recalled that his cow lost one of her calves before she disappeared. Maybe she saw this wolf cub as a replacement. Had it been caring for this wolf cub for the last 8 months? It was all very strange and amazing at the same time.
Source: Daily Story
It turned out that animal control had been guarding both creatures for the past few days and kept everything a secret so that angry farmers would not hunt the wolf cub. It all made sense now why they were being so protective.
The compromise
The leader of the group asked Joe if the cow would allow him to pet the cub. Joe tried to reach under the cow and she did not make a move. Joe told them he was able to touch it. A compromise was made after this development. Animal control let Joe take both creatures back to his farm on one condition.
Source: Daily Story
Joe must make sure nobody knows about the wolf cub. Once it was grown enough to stop needing milk, the animal control will take the cub and take it to a sanctuary where it can grow up in protected care, free from the target of angry farmers. In the end, Joe got to take home his cow and nurse it back to health.