Ahmad Zarkoni, animal healer

Tarko Sudiarno, The Jakarta Post/Yogyakarta

The horse was standing with one of its legs in the strong grip of the old man's dark hands.

Without any difficulty, he bent the left foreleg of the horse backward and kept it in that position for a few minutes. Then, he stroked the back of the horse gently, as if asking whether it felt better.

The old man is Ahmad Zarkoni of Nglaren, Banguntapan district, Bantul regency, Yogyakarta. Known as Mbah Koni to his fellow villagers, he is an animal healer or dukun sapi, literally a cow healer, because he has helped mostly cows.

That afternoon, he was massaging a horse with a troubled leg. The horse, which usually draws a four-wheeled carriage round the city of Yogyakarta, was very docile even when Mbah Koni bent the troubled leg. The animal seemed to be enjoying the massage.

It is indeed very difficult to find someone like Mbah Koni, who has been helping troubled animals since he was a boy. "I got the skill from my grandpa and my father," he said, while drawing deeply on a clove-flavored cigarette.

"When I was a boy, my neighbors, who believed that I had inherited this skill from my father, asked me to heal their cows. At first, I did not believe I could do it. I was scared when my neighbors asked me to help their cows. I hid behind the door. Finally, I agreed as they were insistent," he said.

Now 75, Ahmad Zarkoni has devoted almost his entire life to helping troubled animals. He has cured thousands of animals and visited many towns and cities in East and Central Java and Yogyakarta for this purpose.

"When an animal needs my help, I will go immediately to help because an animal is also a living creature and can feel pain," he said.

Mbah Koni has helped various animals like cows, horses, goats and dogs. Generally, they suffer from a sprain or a cold. Some animals may have indigestion or difficulty giving birth.

When a cow has a cold, for example, Mbah Koni will put his hand, covered with coconut oil and soap into its anus to reach the colon. Then, very carefully, he will take the dung out.

Afterwards he will massage all the joints in the body of the cow and smear it with a balm made of spirit, chili and ginger. Finally, he will take the saliva of the cow onto his palm and rub it on the animal's head. "God willing, after it is rubbed with its own saliva, the cow will get better again," he said.

If a cow loses its appetite and has red spots on its tongue, Mbah Koni will suck the animal's saliva with his own tongue. Although it may be repulsive to many, Mbah Koni will just do it because, as he put it, "That is the only way to help the cow. When your tongue meets its tongue, it will neutralize the ailment."

He added that the saliva of the cow that he had swallowed did him no harm at all.

If the animal has a sprain, Mbah Koni can easily help it. He knows very well which part of the animal is troubled and needs massaging. Lately, he has also helped massage racehorses before they join a race. It is believed that Mbah Koni can help sick animals not only because of his massaging skill but also because of his mantra.

It is true that before he sets out to help a sick animal, he will say a particular mantra to ensure that the animals will remain docile. No matter how wild and strong a horse may be, the moment he has said his mantra, the animal will be very tame.

After the healing session, Mbah Koni will repeat another mantra for the full recovery of the animal.

Mbah Koni, who does not charge a special rate for his service, said that it was not easy to be an animal healer. He said that he always had to improve on the skill he had inherited from his grandfather and his father. "I always perform a ritual in a river at midnight.

"In this way, our ancestors and God will always give us strength as long as what we request is for the good of our fellow human beings."

While he is known as an animal healer, some people have also come to him for a massage. A father of 10, Mbah Koni lives in a modest house in the eastern part of Yogyakarta.

Almost every day, people come to him either to have their animals treated or enjoy a massage.