I am astounded that it is already 4th of July weekend.
While I sometimes complain about the rain, it is keeping the wildflowers blooming - and that's a wonderful thing!
It's getting to the time of year when bear food, like berries, should start flourishing. However, the usual foods are not appearing yet. For example, every year about now, buffalo berries usually turn deep red and weigh down the branches of their bushes. However, this year, I don't even see green berries yet.
I am hearing rumors of bears trying to find food near houses, and people calling for the trapping and "euthanizing" (i.e., shooting) of bears. It makes me sad and angry. Should a bear be killed because it followed its nose to the food that you left outside? I think not.
I wish that people who choose to live in the mountains would take responsibility for the wildlife with whom they share the habitat. For the sake of bears, that means locking down all food sources, and taking responsibility if you make a mistake that lures a bear close to your house.
To be honest, I fear for our biggest bear, Tiny. He's such a huge bear that he scares people far more than other bears. And the descriptions I've read of sightings make me fear that he's continuing to go near houses. My heart sinks when I imagine a world without Tiny marking trees and fathering cubs in our neck of the woods.
I am hoping that the voices of reason - the voices that say that we need to learn to live with magnificent animals like Tiny - eventually sway public thought. I am hoping that the obvious brute strength of Tiny doesn't mean that he is killed by humans.
I, for one, want to share my world with the wildlife, even the ones who have the physical capabilities to kill me if they so choose. In fact, today, I almost crossed paths with a mountain lion. I found her photo at a trail camera, and it showed that she'd been there just minutes before me.
I never saw her today, although she was probably nearby. For me, it's wonderful knowing that these large predators can share the world with us, being invisible ghosts of the forest when they want to be.
Happy Friday!
We love sharing the bears, too. Hope those berries start appearing soon.
ReplyDeleteI to hope the voice of reason and common sense prevail.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Michelle
Yes, the rain is good, but sunshine is too! LOL
ReplyDeleteSometimes the stupidity of people and their belief that no one else exists is jaw dropping.
ReplyDeleteYour Pals,
Murphy & Stanley
If only the voice of reason could rule, how different our world would be! We hope that Tiny will be safe and that all those berries start to appear very soon.
ReplyDeleteI share your feelings about the wildlife. We spend extra hours every week bringing in all our bird feeders at night and putting them back out in the mornings. We keep our garbage in a secure box in our closed garage. Yet people in our own neighborhood put out popcorn and bread on the ground for the birds and then complain because a bear was around their houses. Humans put more bears in danger here than anything else. And that is such a shame.
ReplyDeleteToo bad about the dwindling bear natural food supplies. Fortunately our wild berries are abundant this year.
Love the sweet Shyla amongst the flowers. And, of course your bear and mountain lion photographs.
I feel just like you do KB!!
ReplyDeleteWe worry about the bears too.
Remember that stupid person killed a bear from my forest last year-- for no reason at all!
love
tweedles
Totally agree...let's hope they don't hurt the bears! They need to learn how to co-exist with them. Keep the food locked up! I cannot believe it is the Fourth of July already ... where does the time go??
ReplyDeleteThe peeps need to be more responsible. Hurry up and ripen, berries! You look so pretty posing with the wildflowers, Shyla.
ReplyDeleteI hope that we bipeds will not destroy this wonderful place... I cross my paws that even the generations who will follow ours can enjoy the wildlife and the nature like we do.
ReplyDeleteHappy 4th of july, have a wonderful independence day weekend o)
easy rider
I agree 100% about living and co-existing with wildlife. Although I don't live in an environment where we have to worry about much wildlife picking through our trash (aside from a few skunks, possums, and raccoons), I do wish that people would be more responsible. Tiny and the other bears are just hungry and do not understand and are just following their instincts. My paws are crossed for Tiny hopefully he will find a bounty of food away from humans.
ReplyDeleteWe are always amazed by the beauty of your world!
ReplyDeleteI wish everyone had your wisdom. I worry that as climate change accelerates the synchronies between wildlife and their foods well be disrupted more and more, and these wildlife - human conflicts will get more frequent. it hurts my heart.
ReplyDeleteThe world would be better if we humans learned to share with the other animals who live here!
ReplyDeleteHappy 4th from my home to yours. I hope you are having cooler temps up there than we are, right now it is 96. Ugh. I sure hope you got all your appliances replaced after the lightning strike. Love seeing the wild flowers in your area; also the wild life. I don't understand why people don't use bear proof garbage containers. Hoping none of your favorites wander to far. Stay cool!
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Noreen
We had some neighbors that actually feed the bears and left out a kiddie pool for them to playing after our fire. I think someone finally explained how dangerous that was for the bears as well as for people, because they finally stopped.
ReplyDeleteI worry for Tiny too. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that non-human food will come in time.
Of course, I agree wholeheartedly. I cannot fathom that people who want to visit or live in wilderness must then cry about wild animals nearby.
ReplyDelete