Meet the Animals
The Haven at Skanda is home to rescued animals and a few families of endangered breeds. Each and every animal is special and unique, with his or her own personality, relationships, and joy. Here are just a few of them:
Coco (Coconut) is the smallest goat at Skanda, and completely unique. She is a bit of a dreamer, and hangs back from the group during their wilder moments of playing outside. While the others are running and jumping in the grass, Coco will often be nestled quietly at a distance, basking in the sunshine and enjoying the stillness. One reason she does not jump or play is that Coco suffers from arthritis in her legs, which can sometimes make it painful for her to walk.
Norna is leader of the herd, but leads quietly, observing and supporting any horse who needs her by gently moving alongside them. Norna is a registered thoroughbred, raced from a very early age at the Saratoga racetrack. She comes from a well-known line of winners with famous race horses in her lineage. On her second race, Norna was injured and sent to a facility for broodmares that was then forced to close because of severe abuse of the horses. When she was rescued, Norna was severely underweight and pregnant, ready to give birth.
Sleipnir is gentle, loving, and very sensitive. Sleipnir is head shy, becoming nervous when people approach his face, and may suddenly pull his head away. Sleipnir came from Mexico, where he was used as a parade horse, and treated so poorly that when he came to the US at 8 years old, he had a serious hoof injury usually seen only in much older horses. We think he was likely beaten around his face and possibly his body as well. When Sleipnir was sold from his Mexican handler to an American woman, he was heavily drugged to mask his hoof injury. His new owner only discovered his lameness once she took him off the drugs, and then rejected him. Sleipnir has been part of the Skanda herd from the very beginning, is deeply loved here. His very best friend is Rowan.
Amazing Grace (center in photo) is deeply gentle. She is smaller than some of the other miniature donkeys, and does not dominate, but moves among her family with a soft, loving presence that seems to open possibilities. When visitors approach, Amazing Grace is not the first to step forward, but she quietly seems to sense who needs a little extra love, and will glide over to share herself with whoever needs it most.
Horace the blind rooster and Ranger the endangered magpie duck are the best of friends. They met each other after Horace had been attacked by a rooster, and blinded, and Ranger had been removed from his duck family for being overly aggressive with the girls. Horace lived in a little house by himself while he was healing, and Ranger lived in a little house alongside him. They spent time together during the day, and got along well. When Horace was looking for his water, Ranger would dip his beak into it and make loud spashing sounds until Horace found his way over. Horace brought out the gentle, protective side of Ranger, and Ranger became Horace’s best friend. One night, Horace walked into his house for bedtime, and Ranger looked at us, followed Horace into his house, and looked at us again, seeming to ask if they could stay together at night. We agreed, and they have lived together peacefully ever since.
When Mickey and Goofy were born, their mother Daphne had a hard time nurturing them at first. The birth had been difficult, so Daphne was sore and exhausted, but more than that, Daphne herself had been born in a goat dairy, pulled away from her own mother at birth so had never experienced or even witnessed a mother nursing and loving her newborns. The morning they were born, once they were both on their feet, Mickey approached Daphne to nurse, and she eventually allowed it. When Goofy approached, though, Daphne gave him a head-butt, knocking him down. We then witnessed the most extraordinary gesture: Goofy's brother Mickey, not even one day old, bravely stepped in front of Goofy and wrapped his body around his brother, protecting him. (With a little help, Daphne allowed both boys to nurse, and eventually her mothering instincts kicked in and she has become a wonderful mom.)
Sophia is the ultimate mother: nurturing, patient, gentle, and strong. Her daughters Cinnamon, Starlight, and Mojave still snuggle with her at night, even though they are fully grown. One summer, a group of children was playing outside with the goats while one boy with Autism sat apart. Sophia saw him, and silently glided to him, leaning her body towards him until he touched her back and a smile came over his face - the first smile his mother had seen in a long time, she said. Sophia's wisdom is beyond measure.
Mulighet (adopted) Her name means "Possibilities" in Norwegian, and she has an energy like a gentle burst of fresh air, so pure. Mulighet can be shy, and stays close to her mother, May, but will sometimes jump and play in the grass, loving to feel movement and freedom. She has a joy that seems to sparkle, and transfers easily to those who spend time with her.
In Memoriam
To all the very special animals who have lived at Skanda,
we were lucky to know you, we love you, and we miss you. ❤️
Bentley had a loving, warm quality that draws people to him instantly, and he was much loved at Skanda. In his early life, Bentley was ridden hard, and not treated well when his previous owner was dying of cancer. Bentley was a favorite especially for kids because he was so loving and gentle. Even thought he was one of the largest horses at Skanda, they always felt safe in his presence.
Elskling was a Belgian Draft mare, a true gentle giant. Before she was even 2 years old, Elskling was worked hard, pulling a plow on an Amish farm. As a result of this heavy work, she developed an incredibly weak hind end. When Marion first found Elskling, she was tied to a post, unable to take more than one step, with no access to pasture for grazing. When her owner untied her and put her into a pen for Marion to see, Elskling immediately dropped to the ground and had difficulty getting up. Marion immediately knew she needed to bring Elskling to Skanda. Elskling's name means "Love" in Norwegian, because she was endlessly loving, in spite of all the pain she had experienced in her life. Elskling was the heart of Skanda, and her love will always be rememebered.
When Esmeralda the Icelandic hen lost her family to an illness, she went into mourning. She wobbled around the farm, seeming frail and lost. Then one day she began sitting on eggs, silent and still, with total dedication. Esmeralda wanted to be a mom. She was no longer aimless…she now had a purpose.
When ducklings—and not baby chicks—emerged from the shells, we did not know how Esmeralda would respond. She might reject them, seeing how different they looked. But Esmeralda took one look at her babies and embraced them, cooing, and tucking them under her to stay warm. She protected them at night, and proudly paraded them around the farm during the day. Esmeralda showed us the true meaning of family, the true meaning of love.
See more pictures of Esmeralda and read more about her story here.
Olan was one of Skanda's endangered Magpie ducks. He was a very special duck not only because he had one leg, but because of his incredible strength and resilience after his leg was removed. A few years ago, Olan came back from a day of playing outside with his family, and he was limping. His leg had an infection, that after two surgeries, was persistent, and life-threatening. Our superb veterinarian gave us the choice to remove Olan's leg and save his life, or let the infection takes its course, and probably kill him. We were not sure Olan would want more surgery, and we were not sure how he would adjust to life with only one leg. What would this do to his sense of himself, would he become depressed, not being able to move around as he had before? When we looked at Olan and felt what he would want, he seemed clearly to want to live. After the surgery, the vet told us that Olan stood right up on his one leg, found his balance, and was fine. Since then, Olan lived a joyful life at Skanda, thriving. In summer, he was still able to jump in his swimming pool on his own, and loved spending time outside on the grass, alongside his brothers and sisters.