From Allis, Esmeralda…

…and Amanda!
Hope you’re all enjoying your weekend!

continue reading.....

From time to time, the goats of Ishtar’s Ark have one complaint: that they don’t get to go out as much as they would want to. We would if we could (after all, they’re very photogenic and Allis LOVES to jump on the rocks!), but with a full time job, seven canine youngsters and two [...]

continue reading.....

Our little goat princess Allis is a year old today!

Where has time gone? It was long ago that she was a little goat kid running for safety behind her courageous mother Esmeralda.

We’ve had a lot of fun with our Allis!

She’s the most docile goat I’ve ever known,

…which in turn makes her very cuddly friendly! [...]

continue reading.....

Skywatching in Niger is often a very peaceful happening.

The rocks, the trees and the sun make for a stunning combination.

Enter a pair of goats, and you have it all.

A dancing goat

A stunning sunset

Allis the rock formation princess takes it all in

Whether pink or orange, the Zinder bush sunset never leaves us empty handed.

And after the [...]

continue reading.....

After weeks of severe neglect in the hands of Ali during our stay in Sweden, our pregnant does Allis and Esmeralda were just starting to look better, although still in the works of fattening up. A few weeks ago, Allis didn’t even look pregnant, but this past weekend, our vet confirmed that she was still [...]

continue reading.....

My cousin Daniel (who has been visiting Niger with my father and is heading back with him on Monday) and my nieces Tabita and Priscilla recently visited Ishtar’s Ark and all the critters.

I was thrilled to have visual updates again!

The fillies have grown so big since I saw them last, reminding me of how much [...]

continue reading.....

Our once-upon-a-time baby Rhodesian ridgeback puppy from Sweden, who flew with me to Niger, has grown!

Sheba (Ridgebow’s Radiant Reya of Navy) is simply not a little girl anymore!

Knowing we wouldn’t be there for her monthly birthday, we celebrated with some fresh goat milk. There are few things our dogs love as much as fresh goat [...]

continue reading.....

A few weeks ago, we noticed a lump on Allis’ leg. At that time, she had recently been on a walk outdoors, where she met other goats whom she fought with, so we figured it the lump might just be a bruise from another goat’s horn. It didn’t take long before the lump grew sideways, [...]

continue reading.....

Our Nigerien doe Esmeralda with newborn Allis (October 2008)
Ever since we sent away Allis’ father Amadeus to the market, Anette and I had been talking about borrowing a buck for a a couple of weeks, in order to have a new goat baby (or two!) in Autumn. Although neither of us are particularly fond [...]

continue reading.....

The first rain of the season offered a comfortable break from the humid heat that had been going on for the past two weeks, as well as a garden full of naturally showered animals!

The critters themselves were happy with the change of temperature, but some of them (Dennis Mugu in particular) voiced their protest against [...]

continue reading.....

Although our Nigerien does Allis and Esmeralda are neither as trainable as our dogs nor as useful as our horses, they also need their time of life quality. And what better playground than to take them out for an excursion into the bush?

We did not even get out of town before Allis experienced true Christmas [...]

continue reading.....

Every now and then, we take the goats out for a walk. Not only is it an interesting head-turner in a country where no goats have names much less collars (and way much less are taken out for pleasure walks), but I always find it interesting to watch how different animals take in their surroundings.

Last [...]

continue reading.....

As much as we love our animals, there are a few times a year where pain in necessary…

Vaccination time!

The goats were first up - that is, Ilona and Esmeralda got a dose of some very stingy goat vaccine. I have no idea what it was for (couldn’t remember the name of the goat disease) but [...]

continue reading.....

If it weren’t for the fact that Niger is so temperate and that there is no excuse to have animals indoors, I am pretty sure that I would have fallen for Sheba’s claims of sharing my couch in the evenings while Anette would enjoyed having Allis trip around her feet…

As it is however, the veranda [...]

continue reading.....

It’s been a while since I blogged about Ishtar’s Ark’s latest newcomer Allis yar’Amadeus, but rest assured she is not forgotten! It took a while before she seemed to gain any strength, but then all of sudden one morning she was up hopping on her father’s favourite rock; and that’s when we knew it was [...]

continue reading.....