Page 142 - ShowSight, March 2020
P. 142
ON THE LINE
A LESSON IN
DIET AND
CONDITION
BY BARBARA “BJ” ANDREWS
Watching the NatGeo special on the Yel- lowstone Wolves, I was struck by their magnificent condition and, barring injury, long lives and how that com- pares to our pampered dogs. If you haven’t seen it, search your listings. The lesson learned is better than any semi- nar I’ve ever attended or given.
The handsome pack leader led for almost a decade until his mate died. In case you’ve forgotten, the wolf mates for life. The male wolf usually leads the pack because of his strength and domi- nant character but his mate is equally involved in decision-making. He was in superb health and condition. He had his pack, his pride, and his leadership role but life clearly wasn’t worth living after losing his mate.
There was no voice-over. The cam- era silently captured the mighty leader heading out across the vast tundra to die alone. His pack watched him go. They knew. I cried.
We’re told that animals don’t “think” like humans do, but Canadian naturalist Farley Mowat wrote about it in his famous book Never Cry Wolf. There are recorded instances of Ameri- can Intuit (Eskimos) who have cho- sen suicide-by-freezing as release from suffering, sorrow or being a burden on others.
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