BILLINGS — A 10-year-old Billings girl used her knowledge of animal anatomy to help nurse a baby goat with severe nerve damage back to health, giving the animal a second chance at life.
Adeliah Curry went to help a dairy goat breeder right outside of Livingston and discovered the baby goat in a box at a farm.
The animal was twice the size of a newborn but couldn't stand or walk due to nerve damage sustained during birth.
Watch Adeliah Curry talk about the baby goat:
"His head got pushed and then his leg got yanked," Adeliah said.
The birth injury affected the nerves near the goat's spinal cord, damaging what's known as the peripheral nervous system.
Adeliah's mom, Katie, said the goat only has a 50% chance of walking. They decided to give the baby goat a chance.
Katie Curry, who has studied animals throughout her life, knew how to help based on her anatomy and physiology knowledge.
"Give us a week and we probably get him standing, walking, moving around," Adeliah said.
Adeliah had been attending animal anatomy workshops twice a month, so she and her mother brought the goat to class, turning the educational sessions into real-life, hands-on learning experiences.
"Taking what you know and putting it into a practical application was really cool, especially for kids this age," Katie Curry said.
The results were remarkable. Within days, they got the goat to stand, and soon he was running around and even eating homework.
Now each day brings new milestones for the energetic goat, who has become quite ambitious in his recovery. He springs off furniture and trots alongside the family dogs, fitting in seamlessly with the household pets.
"He gets along with the dogs," Adeliah said. "Maybe 10% will go, 'Wait a minute, that's a goat!' Most of the time, people are like... Or they're on their phones, they don't even notice."
