Baby Bull in Vermont

I loved how incredibly sweet this six month old baby bull was when we stumbled upon his home - a barn at Hildene, the former homestead of Abe Lincoln's son in Manchester, Vermont. It was a beautiful day and we were snow shoeing at Hildene, which is now open to the public and has a beautiful and extensive set of cross country skiing and snow shoeing trails. As we approached the barn this baby bull came over immediately and loved being pet; he was just so gentle and sweet, a stark contrast from the prevailing image we have of bulls.



While living abroad in Seville, Spain during college, I learned about the art and history of bullfighting. In fact, one of my professors had been married to a lengendary bull-fighter, so I was fortunate to get a unique insider-perspective on the national pasttime. I went to two bullfights and gained a great respect and appreciation for the art-form. The bulls, although respected, are often portrayed in popular media as blood-thirsty, savage, wild animals that we humans must avoid at all costs. Indeed, one of the first images that is likely to come to mind when one hears the word "bull" is of a waving red cape, used to provoke the bull. (Interesting aside: They don't run towards the cape due to its color; bulls are apparently color blind). However, when this baby bull approached us that day, he was incredibly docile and loveable.



I love this picture because it hopefully encourages the viewer to reconsider the notion of this animal, and to think about the ways in which popular media provide us with images and information that may not necessarily be true.