What is a wild boar doing in the neighborhood? This is what Carol and Imelda’s neighbors wondered when Coco, the wild boar, came to their farm. Coco was rescued from a devastating fire 15 years ago. He was just a baby when they found him lost in the woods.

Now Coco has been living on Carol and Imelda's farm for over 10 years, where he is already a family member and is one in the neighborhood. How did he get there? Read up on Coco's story: an example of how a compassionate attitude and an open mind can greatly benefit lives of other beings.

Hello Steemians! Today we bring you the story of Coco: a wild boar saved from the flames...

You are likely to be well aware about the impact that human activities have on animal life. We know that deforestation or a beach with garbage endanger the species of the area. But, do we know the story of each animal behind these events?

Image source

Although this would be an almost impossible task, we believe it is important to bring out those stories some of us know in order to understand (beyond a statistical or an environmental perspective) the difficulties faced by thousands of animals due to our actions as individuals and as society.

That’s why we bring you Coco’s story: a wild boar who was found scared, hungry and seeking for refuge after a fire struck the forest where he lived, in western Guatemala. By then (about 15 years ago) Coco was just a baby. He now lives with Carol and Imelda, in a beautiful farm located hundreds of miles from his hometown. So… how did Coco get there?

Meet the new neighbor

Ramón lived in Quiché, in rural Guatemala. He saw the catastrophic fire’s after-effects: destroyed vegetation and thousands of animals left homeless, sick, injured, and many that died. Damages were invaluable.

That’s when Ramón saw Coco. He was alone, so he must have separated from his mother. Since Coco was just a baby, it was easy to carry him in his vehicle so he can recover from the fire. Ramón took care of him, feed him and offered him a home.

Image source

It was not an easy task. Although Ramón’s farm was spacious, it didn't take long before Coco had to leave. Some neighbors didn’t like him around. While this was understandable, having Coco at his home was Ramón’s best course of action to save him after the fire. In order not to compromise the relationship with his neighbors, Ramón decided to look for a new home for Coco… so he decided to call her friend Imelda. He knew Coco was going to be safe with her.

Imelda met Coco since he arrived at Ramón’s house. She knew everything Coco had been gone through, and was very fond for him. So Imelda took Coco to her fam, in Sacatepéquez, several hundred miles away from what had been his home until then. Of course, Imelda feared a negative reaction from her neighbors. Would they bother? Would they accept him? Would it seem very strange for them to have a wild boar as a neighbor?

But Imelda was not intimidated by these reasons, nor by the bad experience Coco had had in his old home… so she adopted Coco in her farm. She kept him in her garden and gradually she built a house where Coco could walk, eat, protect himself and rest without bothering her neighbors.

Coco’s new life

Coco’s arrival to his new home was a big hit! Neighbors received him very warmly, children visited him regularly, and according to Carol (Imelda’s daughter), “Coco gets along very well with men… they are the only ones he obbey”, she says.

Knowing Coco in the environment of his new home is a unique experience: he lets himself be caressed like a dog, his food is prepared in a special way, and what we found more surprising: he is very quiet. In other words, his behavior reflects a complete well-being, and bringsmuch joy to Imelda’s family and the neighbors.

Fortunately, Coco has remained very healthy, largely thanks to the special care and affection he has been given. Imelda and Carol feed him with healthy food, and every six months, they give him treatment to avoid parasites. Now Coco has been over 10 years on the farm. The new project is to expand his home so he can run more freely.

About Coco’s new mothers

Imelda and Carol have always had a great affection and respect for animals. Having grown up in a farm, they were always surrounded by dogs, cows, chickens, goats and other animals.

Like many people, they were raised in an environment in which it is normal to consider that many animals are at the service of human beings, for consumption or to provide different products and assistance in many tasks. However, when realizing that in many cases animals experience suffering just as intensely as people do (hunger, cold, physical pain, angst) this idea changed over time.

Now Carol and Imelda help all the animals they can in many different ways to give them a better opportunity in life. They have adopted cats and dogs that used to live in the streets. They have also help with sterilizations for more than 12 stray dogs in the area. That’s why Ramón knew that Cocowould be a happy and loved wild boar in Imelda’s family. As Ramón expected, Carol and Imelda didn’t hesitate to give him a home.

The lesson behind Coco’s story

Knowing Coco’s story made the @letsteamup team reflect on the importance of two things: empathyand the ability to have an open mind. Why?

We believe that news about environmental damage or statistical data are undoubtedly an essential information se we can understand and prevent devastating situations from happening. But we believe that when we use this as our unique source of information, events behind data can become very distant and alienated for us.

Although this situation doesn’t exactly imply that we are indifferent, the fact is that knowing specific cases gives us the opportunity to feel more identified with the animals and also helps to put ourselves in their place. It is when empathy arises spontaneously.

Imelda and Carol’s initiative gave us great inspiration, because despite the adversities they could face (find room for the new guest, a negative reaction from the neighbors, time to take care of an animal and resources to feed and protect him) they offered Coco a home.

But above all, what we admire the most is that this, and many other initiatives, are carried out because Imelda and Carol were willing to evaluate their beliefs and change them… motivated by their desire to benefit animals.

One lesson we can learn from this is that when we have an open mind, and when we constantly challenge our beliefs critically, great opportunities along with new pathways open up to us so we can learn and benefit other beings. Coco’s story proves this.

Here’s your chance to help!

If you were inspired by Coco’s story and want to contribute to the expansion of his new room, pleaseupvote and resteem this post. 100% of the money we receive as SteemDollars will bedonated to support Imelda and Carol’s initiative.

Follow us to find out more motivating stories about animal rescue. You can support the recovery of those who need it! Join our cause and help @letsteamup grow. Together we can empower good intentions and actions of many people who believe and work for animal welfare.

We value your feedback! Please leave your comments with opinions and suggestions. We’ll be happy to know what you think about our project. Words of encouragement are also a tremendous help.

Thank you for taking the time to read our post. We hope to see you in our next one!