Phone call at 7 a.m.
Travis County, Texas, November 2021. It was shortly after 7 a.m. when Greg Murphy, director of the Hill Country Wildlife Center, a wildlife sanctuary, heard his cell phone ring. There’s a goat in Shiva’s area. The staff member on the phone sounded shaken. Greg ran as fast as he could through the facility without his jacket. What in the world is going on in the area?
There was no blood, no sign of a struggle.
When Greg rushed in, “Shiva” the Bengal tiger was sitting right next to the black goat. The area was not rough. There was no blood. Shiva just sat there. The goat was immediately taken into custody and moved to another area. For the first time in his 30-year career, Greg wrote in the “Cause Unknown” column of his after-action report: “Predatory behavior, no. No predatory behavior. What in the world had happened to this tiger?
The expert said, “I’d like to see the site once.”
Greg immediately sent the video to animal behaviorist Ben Coleman, who has studied big cats for more than 20 years, and his reply was just one line. I’d like to see the site. He did not give an answer based on the video alone. That meant that there was something in the images that could not be explained by 20 years of research. Why did this tiger not eat the goat in front of him?
The day Shiva came to this facility.
Shiva came to Hill Country Wildlife Center in 2018. She was one of the animals that was unclaimed when a circus company in Texas closed its doors. She was 5 years old at the time. He was used to humans, but had virtually no experience with other animals. The first thing that concerned Zoe Harper, the veterinarian assigned to the case, was his appetite. He often left more than half of the food he was given, and his chart repeatedly showed “loss of appetite, cause unknown”.
No improvement “unexplained”
Zoe suspected stress and expanded the area and changed the type of food. However, improvement remained scant. Blood tests showed no abnormalities, and continued behavioral observations showed no special changes. Only the words “loss of appetite, cause unknown” on her chart increased. Zoe continued to keep Shiva’s records, telling herself, “One day we will know. Zoey had no way of knowing at the time that the answer would come in the form that it did.
Black goat appears on stormy night
One stormy night in November 2021, the old fence of Jim Dawson, who farms 15 minutes from the facility, broke. The next morning, the facility staff found a lone black goat on the property. When we contacted Jim, he replied, “He is estimated to be 9 years old and is no longer able to be cared for. If you can take him in,” was the reply. Staff member Lila Sanchez took over management and named the goat “Peanut. Peanut’s permanent home was in a shed away from Shiva’s area.
There were no plans for the two animals to make contact again.
During Peanut’s first few days at the facility, no one on staff thought to bring Shiva and Peanut closer together. Peanut stayed quietly in his hut and Shiva remained in her area as usual. Nothing seemed to have changed in the daily routine of the facility. But change had begun quietly, without anyone noticing. It was surprisingly the youngest staff member, Laila, who noticed it first.
Since Peanut came along.”
A week after Peanut arrived, Shiva’s appetite dropped even more. Days went by when she left her food almost untouched. Zoe suspected a digestive problem and performed blood tests. The results were clear. We checked the area and found no problems. One day Lila suddenly said. I have a feeling that Shiva has become restless since the arrival of the peanuts.” There was no evidence. But to Zoey, it was a comment that really bothered her.
An “experiment” over the fence
Zoe tried it out and moved the peanuts to a plot over the fence adjacent to Shiva’s area. The next morning, Shiva had finished her food. It could have been a coincidence. But it lasted two days. It continued for three days. After consulting with Greg, the decision was made that we could keep an eye on the situation, with strict safety controls in place. After careful observation and step-by-step procedures, a controlled cohabitation was attempted. The two animals were fine and Shiva’s appetite was restored. However, Zoe still had unexplained questions.
The Mystery of “Always on the Left
While observing Shiva, whose appetite had returned, Zoe noticed something. Peanut is always on Shiva’s left side. He rarely turns to the right side. At first, she thought it was just a coincidence. But after reviewing a week’s worth of surveillance video, I realized that it was “always” the case. Why is Peanut always on Shiva’s left side? Zoe still did not have the answer to that question.
Again, he refused to eat.
In January 2022, Peanut was moved to a separate room for a few days due to mild illness. The next day, Shiva began leaving food out again; by the third day he was losing weight. When the peanuts returned, Shiva ate a complete meal that night. Is it dependence, or is there something else going on?” Zoe sent the video to Ben Coleman, an animal behaviorist. Ben’s reply was brief. ‘I’d like to see the scene once.
Ben came to the facility.
In late January 2022, Ben visited the facility. He didn’t take notes, he didn’t take pictures, he just watched them for two days. On his way out, he said to Zoe, “Shiva has something to do with Peanut. Shiva depends on Peanut for something. But I still don’t know what he is relying on,” said the expert who has studied big cats for more than 20 years. That one statement weighed heavily on Zoey’s mind.
From the left side “delayed response.”
Zoe continued to search for clues, but it was not until February 2022 that a decisive change occurred. When she approached Shiva from the left side to administer medication, Shiva noticed her presence later than usual. When I approached from the right side, the reaction was quick. When I approached from the left, it was a beat later. After trying it several times, I was convinced. This was no coincidence. Zoe immediately asked Dr. Carol Reyes, a veterinarian specializing in ophthalmology, to examine her.
Date of test results
The results came in on February 3, 2022. Dr. Reyes told Zoe in a quiet voice. We have confirmed progressive retinal degeneration in Shiva’s left eye,” Dr. Reyes told Zoey in a quiet voice. Most of his vision has already been lost, and it is only a matter of time before he goes completely blind. I can’t say exactly when it started,” he said. I can’t say exactly when it started, but it must have been at least a year or more. Zoey sat in the chair in the examination room, unable to move for a while.
I looked back over 18 months of footage.
Zoe immediately contacted Ben. The next day, we both reviewed 18 months of surveillance footage. This time, we assumed that she was “blind in her left eye. The way the images looked was as if they had changed. Whenever Peanut sensed something moving around him, he turned his body in that direction first. Shiva saw the movement and noticed it for the first time. It was a repetitive process. Ben remained silent for a long time in front of the monitor.
It’s all connected.
Why Peanut always walked on Shiva’s left side. Why Shiva refused to eat every time Peanut was moved to another room. Why just placing him over the fence brought back his appetite. Everything connected in one line. I still don’t know if Peanut was doing this intentionally or not. But as a result, a wordless division of roles between the two animals had naturally formed. If they were wild, they would have died long ago. Dr. Reyes said quietly.
Greg’s “One Word”
After receiving the full report from Zoe, Greg took a quick look at the materials and was silent for a while. As the director of the facility, there were a few things he needed to think about. Management of the tigers, which had nearly lost their sight. The decision on whether to continue cohabitation with the other animals. Greg thought about it all and quietly opened his mouth. I’m keeping the peanuts. That was all he said. Tears welled up in Zoey’s eyes as she heard him say that.
The record that became the paper
Ben’s paper was published the following year in Animal Behavior, a journal of animal behavior. It was titled “An Observational Record of Complementary Interspecific Behavior in Visually Impaired Tigers. Although the content was carefully factual, it attracted the attention of researchers around the world. Within a year of publication, the number of citations exceeded four times the industry average. But it was not the paper that brought this event to the attention of people around the world.
One photo of Lila
Lila posted a picture on the institution’s Facebook page one evening. In the evening light, Shiva and Peanut were standing side by side, facing the same direction. That was all she wrote. I simply wrote, “Two animals of the day.” The next morning, there were over 300 comments. I called my parents, woke up my husband who was sleeping next to me, and sent a message to an old friend. Why did a single photo move so many people?
The local newspaper made a move.
Mike Tellez, a reporter for the local newspaper, the Austin American Statesman, saw the Facebook post and visited the facility. Mike didn’t make a showy production. He wrote carefully, just the facts. About Shiva’s vision, about Peanut being on the left side, and about his 18-month record. The story was picked up by the Associated Press and distributed throughout the United States. The next morning, the phone calls to the facility stopped ringing.
Reaction from across the U.S.
Within 72 hours of the article being distributed, the facility had over 120,000 Facebook followers. We also received a letter. I am taking care of my father who is blind. I read this article and went to see him. I contacted my brother, whom I have been isolated from for many years. Shiva and Peanut’s story went beyond the animals to inspire people to think about what it means to be there for someone. Zoe read each of the letters with great care.
What Ben said.
When interviewed, Ben told the reporter. ‘Whether or not the peanuts were intentionally helping Shiva cannot be scientifically proven. But as a result, he was helping him. That is a fact. Then, after a short pause, he continued. It may be more important whether or not they were there than whether or not they intended to be there. His words spread through social networking sites and became one of the most quoted sentences.
The day Jim visited the facility
One fall afternoon, Peanut’s former owner, Jim Dawson, visited the facility. He said he had read an article in the newspaper and wanted to come see him. Jim looked at Peanut and was silent for a while. Then he laughed and said, “I didn’t realize you had such an important job. On the way home, he said to Zoe, “I’m glad you took her in. I’m glad you took her in. Zoe replied, “My pleasure.
Facility changes.
This event led to a new observation program at the facility to document the relationships between the animals. It was conceived by Greg and designed by Zoe. We’ve managed animals as individuals for so long,” Greg said. But animals live in relationships,” Greg said. Several facilities across the U.S. have applied to visit. A quiet incident at a small facility was slowly beginning to move the entire industry.
What Lila saw
Lila had a routine of checking the area for the two animals every morning. One morning, Shiva was unusually sitting alone in a corner of the area. After a while, Peanut slowly emerged from the shed. When Shiva felt his presence, he quickly stood up and lined up on Peanut’s right side. He seemed to be waiting for Peanut to come to his left. The usual morning began again.
Shiva’s “Now”
It has been two years since the examination. Shiva’s left eye is now only slightly able to distinguish light. Reyes says that complete blindness is not far off. However, Shiva’s appetite is stable and his weight is maintained. Zoey sometimes looks back at the words “loss of appetite, cause unknown” on her chart. It still pains her to think about what she didn’t realize at the time. Still, now Peanut is next to Shiva.
What Zoe noticed.
One night, Zoe was alone watching the monitor. Shiva was sleeping with Peanut snuggled up to her. It was an ordinary night. As Zoey watched the scene, she thought. Shiva did not hide his weakness. He acknowledged his weakness and chose to rely on someone else. Maybe that’s what moved so many people, Zoe thought quietly.
Today, to the left.
Shiva and Peanut are walking side by side in the area today. Peanut is always on Shiva’s left. Whenever he sees something moving around him, he turns his body toward it first. Shiva sees the movement and notices. There are no words. Nothing special. It just goes on day after day. That’s all that goes on quietly in this facility.
The lonely king’s choice.
A king who lived by strength chose to surrender his eyes to a little goat. It was not a defeat. It was an answer so sincere that he chose to admit weakness and rely on someone else. I am sure that those who commented on Lila’s photo that she called her parents were not talking about Shiva. I think they were remembering someone who was there next to them.
It continues quietly at this facility.
Shiva’s left eye is currently only slightly able to distinguish light. Peanut is still on the left side today. That is all that quietly goes on at the small facility in Travis County, Texas. Greg walks the facility today, Zoey writes medical records today, and Lila takes pictures of the two animals today. Nothing special is going on. But Peanut is still on the left today.
*This story is fictional. All characters and events are fictitious and have no relation to real people or events. The pictures are for illustrative purposes only.
