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Goat Rescue 911
Diabet, Morocco
May, 2004
After a long bike ride on the beach south of Essaouira, Jordan, Karl and I decided to take the side route next to the river towards Diabet. As we rode along I heard a distressed, "Bahhhhh" coming from somewhere near the river bank.
"Did you guy's hear that? I questioned. They looked at me oddly and shook their heads, but I persisted. "I know I heard something, lets go down next to the river and check it out."
We took a little dirt trail through the short trees and when we reached the bank I heard another "Bahhhhh" coming from a short distance away.
"I heard that!" exclaimed Jordan. "Look, there's a little goat over there!" Jordan is a 21 year old blonde hair, blue eyed extravert from Houston, Texas. We dropped our bikes and Jordan ran to the bank and just before reaching the goat she sunk in the mud up to her waist.
"Help you guys! This mud is so slimy." she gasped. Karl and I looked at each other, hesitated, looked at Jordan, laughed and walked down to the bank. We grabbed her arms and pulled her from the mud. She was the first rescue of the day.
The goat, a full grown female, was stuck up to her neck and the tide was coming in. A very critical situation indeed. I would have to go in and save the goat. I knew if I got in close I could probably drag the goat out, but the big question in my mind was, "Do Goats bite?" I asked Karl and Jordan but they had no idea. There was no choice. In another hour or so the goat would drown.
As I started out into the mud, Karl, Jordan's lanky boyfriend from Birmingham, England began his commentary:
"Right, here we are with Ronny Bauer in another episode of Moroccan Adventures. Yesterday we came face to face with a vicious African Scorpion, caught a hissing sand turtle and today we are saving goats by the river." He spoke like an English 'Crocodile Hunter' and Jordan was laughing while scraping the mud off her legs.
To get to the goat, I had to use my hands to boost me through the waist deep mud. Th goat bahhhhed loudly as I approached, but she got quiet when I was at her side trying to lift her out.
Karl continued, "Ronny has reached the Goat. This will be a very tricky and dangerous operation. We all know that goats often attack when cornered or stuck in mud." I looked up and laughed.
It was impossible pull the goat out by its neck or main so I had to dig deep in the mud to get my arms under her back legs. Then I picked her up and dropped her a foot closer to the solid sand bank. After about 10 minutes I landed the goat on the sand and she went straight to the nearest shrub and began to eat.
The whole time Karl continued his commentary, "Ronny is getting the Goat closed to the bank, yes definitely closer. Wait, there almost to land! Yes, the goat is free, the goat is free!"
I walked down the river to a rocky section to wash off the mud and Jordan and Karl stayed with the goat to make sure it was OK. When I returned we got on our bikes and rode back to Essaouira. We decided to stop and get a Coffee at the Cafe de France.
"Can you believe it, we saved a goat!" Jordan reflected. We were all excited. It didn't seem like much at the time, but how many times in your life do you save a Goat? For the next few days Jordan would tell every person she met and knew about the goat rescue. "Dammit! I wish I had my camera!" she often would exclaim.
The next day Karl and I did the same ride. As we approached the spot were we saved the goat, we decided it would be a good idea to go down and be sure the goat didn't go back into the mud.
"Hello TV Audience, said Karl as we walked. "Here we are with 'Goat Rescue 911' patrolling the Diabet River. Our Guide, Ronny Bauer is now checking the area. All clear, I repeat all Clear, Diabet Goats safe and sound."
Days went by and we didn't see anymore goats in the mud. We stopped checking the danger zone and got on with new bike rides up in the area foothills. A few weeks later we hiking up the river to Diabet to get some water and we heard a familiar sound, "Bahhhhhhh."
We hiked about 100 yards up and just near the site of the first rescue there were two goats stuck in the mud, a mother and her baby. The mother was in up to her neck and the baby only had his two front legs about half way in.
"Goat's in Distress. That is what it is all about for the daring team of 'Goat Rescue 911'." began Karl. "Our team leader, Ronny Bauer, is now taking off his shirt and shoes and preparing himself for the rescue...." His commentary always made me laugh and this one was no different.
Things were much easier this day because the mud was much more solid. If I walked on all fours I could move across the mud without sinking. I decided to free the little goat first. When I approached him both the goats started bahhhhing wildly. I grabbed the little guys two arms, pulled them out and pushed him on to the hard sand.
"The Baby goat is free, I repeat the Baby goat is free! Now comes the big challenge. The mother goat is really stuck and she looks mean I tell you. Ronny will have to be extra careful with this one!" continued Karl.
I laughed and all foured it over the mother. She was really in the mud, but not far from the bank. I lifted her out.
"Karl, get the hell over here and help me with this one and quit your yapping!" I smiled. He came over to the bank, grabbed the Goat's two front legs and pulled the goat to the sand while I pushed in his direction.
Karl was excited. He changed to his regular voice and said, "Did you see that Ron! The goat licked my arm as I was pulling her towards shore. Can you believe it, that goat likes me."
As I was in the river washing off the mud that was up to my waist, Karl continued with his 'Crocodile Hunter' voice, "Yes, another exciting episode of 'Goat Rescue 911'. This was an extra exciting episode where Ronny Bauer and Karl saved an entire family of goats!"
I laughed and looked up at Karl and said, "You know back in WW1 when a pilot shot down a plane they put a little 'Enemy Plane Sticker' on the nose of his plane to show how many planes he had shot down?"
Karl replied affirmative. "Well, when we get back to Essaouira were going to put a half a goat on the front of your bike!"
We both laughed and Karl excitedly said, "I get a half a goat!"
When we got back to Essaouira and told Jordan the story she was excited and a bit Jealous. "Yiall saved two goats!"
"Yeah Baby, and I saved half a one!" replied Karl.
"Dammit! I wish I had my camera!" she exclaimed.
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