Wednesday 24th December - All 25 seen - Steer 35 continues to limp slightly, but his walking was even better than yesterday.

At 09:40 this morning, five cattle were grazing on grass and gorse as they made their way east along Sandy Hill. All appeared happy, relaxed, and in good condition.

At 10:05, the other twenty cattle were gathered near Horse Pond, mostly grazing or resting. Youngsters 222 and 227, along with yearling 271, were foraging for acorns in the pasture to the south. 

Shortly after I arrived, the herd split into two groups. Most continued east to forage for acorns among the fallen leaves southeast of the pond. However, a group of eight—including five Sussex cattle, steers 35 and 219, and cow 234—climbed the steep slope up to Hungry Hill where they joined the original group of five foraging for acorns.

Older steer 35 managed the climb with little difficulty, not even stopping to rest. When I caught up with him later, he was still showing a slight limp while moving over the uneven ground, but it was noticeably improved compared to yesterday. He was bearing full weight on his injured ankle as he foraged. He came over to say hello and allowed me to check the ankle and take a few photos.

I spent some additional time with both groups before saying my goodbyes at 12:30.

A full update and photos will follow later.