VN June 2020

Vetnews | June 2020 31 Story Having said that, there were plenty of highlights and lighter moments, incidents and visits which still stand out in my memory and the overall experience was, looking back, hugely positive and broadened my perspective on life immensely. Soon after we arrived we visited Beersheba, which features in the bible as an important landmark, a well in the desert. There I stayed with colleague Yehuda. The conversation was extremely interesting as I started to be introduced to the veterinary scene in Israel. Unfortunately very much interrupted by unruly and noisy children. We were to discover that the children in Israel were sort of regarded as the future of the nation and therefore given free reign wherever they went, no discipline. Among the many interesting places we visited in Beersheba was a station where research was being done on how animals have adapted to extremely dry conditions. Like camels and the physiological adaptations they have made, to survive without water for days on end. If I remember correctly the camel is able to concentrate the blood to osmotic levels of 5% compared to the normal homeostatic level of 0.9% saline, amongst others. Yehuda had also organised a meal in the desert with a Bedouin Sheikh, “Abo”, whom he was friendly with. Abo had a nomadic following of some 10,000, who all lived in tents in the Negev desert. The lunch was a formal Bedouin affair. Inside a large tent of black goat hair, which was woven so that air could pass through it, we sat on silk cushions on a floor of colourful Persian carpets piled on one another. We sat on the outside of a hollow square while our hosts stood opposite, in the centre and conversed with us. Only one person sat facing us. The spicy aroma of the lunch of cooked goat’s meat filled the air and was served on large silver trays on top of layers of pita bread (which looked like and had the texture of a pancake) and rice. There was no cutlery provided and we discovered that the chap sitting opposite to us was there to demonstrate how to eat the meat and at the same time to pull it apart and push the tastier pieces across to within our reach. The technique for eating was to pick up a piece of the pita bread and then using that as a wrap to pick up some rice and meat. Before we started eating, we were first served with strong black coffee in miniature cups and then sweet tea, as our host explained the complicated symbolism of the whole meal. Bitter coffee symbolising the hardships of life and the sweet tea the good things. We were told that the men would sit down and have their meal after we had departed and the remainder would go to the kitchen where the women would eat what was left. Abo warmed to us eventually, inviting us to join their tribe for a three day celebration of his son’s coming of age circumcision, which happens when the men are 18 and was due to start the next day. The celebration would involve, amongst others a number of equine events. Unfortunately we were unable to accept the offer. That afternoon, we visited a sheep dairy, where some 500 sheep were milked twice a day on a beautiful miniature double- intersecting carousel. I was told that Awassi sheep, specially bred for milk-production, could produce up to 2 litres a day and their average lactation was 200 litres in about 5 months. Sheep’s milk and especially the cheese made from it was very popular in Israel. Yehuda also started to introduce me to the “Hachakla’ut”, for whom he worked. This was an organisation which functioned across the whole nation, providing veterinary services to mainly dairy farmers on the moshavim and kibbutzim and probably held the most personal interest for me of anything that I came across in Israel. Historically the Hachakla’ut was started in the 1920’s. As early as 1918 an organisation had been launched to provide insurance for dairy farmer’s animals. Very soon the organisers realised that, if they were to remain afloat they should try and find a way of limiting their liability by keeping the animals alive and healthy as long as possible. So a veterinary scheme was launched and it grew as the farmers were required to subscribe to that scheme if they wanted the insurance. >>> 32