Lighthouse Farm Sanctuary is a unique place where animals live together in love and peace. But there was one of them who was afraid of becoming a part of the ordinary activities and who preferred to stay away from the others. It was Helen the bison.

We would like to tell you the amazing story of Helen’s transformation, that happened thanks to true love.

An incredibly shy queen

A 1,200-pound blind bison named Helen was rescued from an auction when she was a baby. Unfortunately, the woman who was taking care of her got sick and Helen needed to find another place to go. That’s when the farmers from Lighthouse Farm Sanctuary stepped in.

Despite the huge amount of love and care that Helen got at the sanctuary, she had never been able to get used to her life there. She was very shy and preferred spending time alone. Her caretakers kept trying to put other animals in her field so that she could have somebody to hang out with, but they got no results — she just wasn’t interested.
The beginning of an unexpected friendship

Some time later, the farmers rescued a pregnant dairy cow named Betsy, who gave birth to a calf named Oliver soon afterward. When he was big enough to explore the sanctuary, Oliver started going around and meeting all the other animals who lived there, and, of course, he couldn’t avoid meeting Helen during this time.

When Helen and Oliver met each other, unexpectedly to everyone, they immediately bonded. It was like her maternal instincts finally took over and she found a baby who needed all of her love and care. She actually began acting like a mom and even started grooming Oliver. Since that moment, the bison and the calf became inseparable.

Oliver spent his first year as if he were glued to Helen’s side and they often hung out together with his mom, Betsy, making for a really unique trio.

Each morning, Oliver used to run from the barn to the pasture to meet Helen. They shared meals, played together, and groomed each other. In the evening, no matter what kind of adventures Oliver had during the day, he always shared his snuggles with Helen.

Eventually, Oliver joined the other cows living at the sanctuary, but this doesn’t mean that he left Helen alone. The little calf completely changed her life and gave her the confidence to make other animal friends.

The blossoming of the queen

Thanks to Oliver, Helen managed to embrace her own personality and become the real matriarch of the entire sanctuary. She turned into a loving friend to every living creature there and became more receptive to having attention from everyone else.

Now, she takes care of every animal on the farm. She welcomes newcomers inside this peaceful community and makes sure that they feel safe and secure.

Over the past few years, Helen has really come out of her shell. She has made a lot of new friends and provided comfort to those who needed it. And most important thing — she’s become so much happier in her new role!

Do you know about any other examples of unusual friendships between different kinds of animals? Tell us your stories in the comments!

Preview photo credit lighthousefarmsanctuary / instagram, lighthousefarmsanctuary / instagram