Care for Cows

“If we care for the cows they will care for us”

Due to deforestation in the Vrindavan area, cows can no longer subsist on natural foliage. Consequently they’ve become dependent on commercial production of grass and hay. Since many of the locals can’t afford commercial fodder for their non-productive cows, they sadly abandon them to wander in the streets foraging in the garbage heaps.

In the streets, the cows consume a myriad of inedible and filthy things, primarily plastic bags, and gradually become malnourished and diseased. As they have no shelter, they rest in the street and are often injured by careless motorists. It is not uncommon that cows are hit or run over by cars and left in the street to die.

Care for Cows in Vrindavan maintains abandoned cows, bulls, retired oxen, and orphaned calves. We are international volunteers who offer our talents and resources to tend to the neglected cows living in Krishna’s holy land. We provide stray cows hay, flour, fresh grass, medical attention and a place where they can recuperate from injuries. At present we host a herd of two hundred fifty.

There are approximately three to four hundred abandoned cows in Vrindavan requiring accommodation. Unless they are protected they are destined to subsist on refuse and become plagued by various debilitating and often terminal diseases or suffer injury from careless motorists. However, the most immediate danger is that they become abducted for slaughter by cattle rustlers who are active in the area.

Cow’s Home

Care for Cows has started a go sadan or cow’s home so that Vrindavan’s injured, abandoned and unwanted cows and calves have found a new life of care and affection. For the last five years we have attended to over one hundred abandoned cows in Raman Reti alone. Many were in such a deteriorated state that the only service we could offer was to console them until they died, and then bury them.

For the past 5 years, thanks to the sponsorship of Madan Mohan das from the UK, Vrindavan’s street cows are being fed fresh grass daily.

We have just acquired three acres of land for their protection and are in need of funds to build a proper facility. Take this opportunity to serve Sri Gopala’s cows.

Care for Cows relocated to FFLV’s Kiki Nagla Farm

For 150 cows of the Care for Cows’ herd, the grass really is greener on the other side of the fence.

Part of the herd moved to Food for Life Vrindavan’s Kiki Nagla farm in January when the original facilities proved to be too dangerous and unstable. The old facility’s proximity to Vrindavan proper was both convenient for visitors and potentially deadly for the herd. On several occasions, a group of thugs came in the night to capture our cows – some severely ill and injured – for India’s underground leather market.

The new facility is more spacious, with heightened security. Cows are homebodies; they don’t like change. It was difficult to move the cows away from a place that had always been a sanctuary for them. Sometimes we even had to trick them.

Richard Bischof, a long-time volunteer who runs the Swiss FFLV charity chapter, says, “When we began moving the cows we had a really hard time convincing them that they would be going to a better situation. It was really difficult, but there was one cow – Padmini – I knew she was a leader. I led Padmini’s calf by a rope, and Padmini followed. Then all the other cows followed her. Once they reached their new home and saw that there was plenty to eat and space to roam, they were quite content.”

A New Shelter for Vrindavan Cows

FFLV together with Care for Cows has begun construction of a new shelter for the cows. Situated on FFLV’s land in Kiki Nagla, the shelter will occupy one acre of space. Plans have been drawn and work has begun. The cows now situated in a temporary shelter are looking forward to their new residence.

The shelter was designed by Richard Bishof, an engineer from Switzerland. It has been planned based upon our 10+ years of experience of caring for cows. As such, the new facility will be practical, functional and comfortable for the animals. We are also looking at available land for growing fodder and grazing that will allow the heard to grow in a sustainable way.

Bull Power:

FFLV Sandipani Muni School, has always been a green organization, from water harvesting, to organic food, to recycled paper, and now green (bull) power. FFLV has nice bullock carts ferrying 500 children to school daily. Not only this very eco-friendly, but it actually gives the bulls a life. Our Care for Cows director, Kurma Rupa Das, said that since the bulls have been pulling the carts they are much more peaceful and satisfied. It seems they like their job. It gives them a chance also to serve these wonderful children.

 

 

An Interview with Kesi Nisudhana Krishna
dasa:

To find out more about what is being done for cows at the ‘go sadan’ or 
cows’ home at Kiki Nangla, and in what way does the school benefit from
 the bulls and cows housed here, we interviewed Kesi Nisudhana Krishna
dasa, who has been involved with Food For Life Vrindavan and cow seva
(looking after cows) for many years. Originally from Malaysia, Kesi prabhu
 had a long and successful career with Malaysian Airlines. In his free
time, he enjoyed looking after ten cows kept at his small farm. In the
1990′s, he met a devotee who introduced him to Food For Life projects, and 
when Kesi prabhu later visited Vrindavan, he made the decision to retire
 there and dedicate the rest of his life looking after cows. In 2002, he 
retired from Malaysian Airlines and his wife sadly passed away in the same
 year. However, Kesi prabhu felt it was his duty to wait until his children 
were married and settled, before dedicating himself to service and
voluntary work in Vrindavan. By 2008, both of his children were happily 
married and he felt ready to quit his job and relocate to India.

The
 beginning was very difficult: there were almost no facilities available, 
and Kesi prabhu and others did their best to look after Vrindavan’s 
injured, abandoned and unwanted cows and calves in very difficult 
circumstances. Last year, they were offered a land in Kiki Nangla and they 
moved there with 150 cows in December. A bigger goshala (cow shed) is now 
being built on a land nearby, offered by supporters of Care For Cows from
 Switzerland. Kesi prabhu himself was now offered a room in Kiki Nangla, 
but he spends practically all his life in the company of the cows, and he 
would not have it in any other way. He told us that nothing in his life 
has ever given him as much happiness as looking after the cows here, and 
he wants to thank everybody, especially Rupa Raghunath prabhu, Kurma Rupa 
prabhu and Radha-Pati prabhu for giving him the opportunity to do this
 service.
 In return for their care, the cows and bulls kept at Kiki Nangla assist
 Food For Life’s other projects.

The cows provide about 15 liters of milk 
which are given to the children attending Sandipani Muni School 
Kindergarten, and bulls are used to pull nine carts which transport 
students between their villages and the school. Waste produced by the
 animals is used for organic farming at Kiki Nangla. There are also plans 
to use it to generate bio gas in the future.