The sheep of Makri
Left to die
Late at night, George received an emergency call from the police that there were wild sheep on an uninhabited, rocky island. The animals were vegetating there without water or food and some were already falling from the cliffs, exhausted. Without hesitation, George organised a boat that very evening and set off for Makri Island the next morning with a fisherman friend.
The images they saw on site were horrific. Some of the animals lay injured, apathetic, dehydrated and half-starved all over the island. Some of them were lying among the carcasses of their fellow animals, for whom all help had unfortunately come too late.
It was difficult to judge where to start with the help. You can't get close to most of the animals - they are wild and don't know human contact. So the men first distributed the maize they had brought with them in accessible places and filled water into the bathtubs, which had probably been set up a long time ago and had already dried out. Some of the sheep were so weak that they were barely able to eat.
While still on site, George informed the relevant authorities about the dire situation and organised a team of volunteers for the next few days.
After giving the animals first aid, the men returned to Rhodes. They took the seriously injured animals with them and brought them to a clinic. Unfortunately, one sheep had such massive injuries that it had to be put down by the vets.
The next day, George travelled to the island again with the team of helpers he had formed. They feverishly considered how the animals could be cared for in the future. Animal-loving people were quickly found who now travelled to the island by boat every day to provide the sheep living there with food and water.
But how did this devastating situation come about?
The background is that this particular breed of sheep is a protected species. A Greek businessman collected EU funds from the Greek government with the proviso that he would ensure the survival of the breed. The man brought the sheep to the island of Makri, but instead of taking care of them, he simply left them to their fate.
What happens now?
The sheep will remain on Makri Island for the time being and from now on will be regularly supplied with food and water, as well as receiving medical care.
In order to be able to guarantee this, we are urgently dependent on financial help!
Please support us with your donation, as the necessary funds are not yet available.
