What. A. Week. I know that I tend to be a bit over dramatic. I’m a very high achiever at that! But one thing that apparently I am lacking in is being careful. Being smart. Not taking wildlife seriously enough. Especially when it came to Fruitycake this week.
As we were making our way back up our path to the house Sunday night, it was just starting to get dark. He was walking by me, but not on a leash. As we rounded a corner, all of a sudden, I heard squealing and crying and commotion. I knew it was a wild boar. But I couldn’t tell who was crying the loudest. I ran around that corner, but by the time I got there, Fruity had been speared with the tusks of the boar and thrown. He was limping, but I didn’t see anything due to the light. As we got near the house, I saw blood on his foot. And then there was blood everywhere. He was injured bad. His flesh was torn and his muscles were coming out.
Now, if you know where our house is, it’s a 20 minute walk up the mountain. We have no cell service except for our recent Starlink. And it was a Sunday night in Italy. The only thing I knew to do was to contact the vet that came up here to help Brickle. He answered me right away, but he was hours away. He walked me thru what to do after looking at pictures and said unless he had trouble breathing to take him to a vet in the morning. We had antibiotics needed. And although it was a scary night, he did as best as he could. So did we. In the morning, we called a vet and somehow spoke enough Italian to convey the urgency. But. We have no car and we knew a bus would be too rough. We got a taxi at the end of our path and made our way to the vet. We were there all day long. It was very stressful. And I realize now I know even less about Italy than I did last week.
I grew up in Florida and knew wildlife was dangerous. But I also knew the precautions to take. I was taught. Here, I knew wild boar were dangerous. But I didn’t realize their strength. I didn’t realize what could happen in an instant. I do now. And let me say, I don’t blame the wild boar. Everyone is just trying to survive. But I have to protect my dog. It’s my responsibility. It’s also my responsibility to have first aid kits up here. An emergency plan for all of us. And we must get things live able, an alternate path cleared and more. One day at a time. But one day can mean life or death. And we have to get down to business.
The wild boar taught me this week that I must take more of an effort to learn the language. I have to speak to get help. The wild boar taught me this week that we must get things liveabke faster and work harder. The wild boar taught me this week to not take the ones you love for granted. And when it’s your job to protect the ones you love, like Fruitycake, not even a wild boar will stop you.
We all have a bit of anxiety and trauma from this week physically and mentally. But we will learn and move on. Thank you, wild boar for sparing his life. And thank you Fruitycake for saving mine. Again.
Part of our goal and the biggest one actually here is to make this land and place a refuge for the ones here before us. The animals. But now, we must find balance and safety in that plan.
-Rachael
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