You didn’t mention if she was a vegetarian or vegan or anything but if you had a steak or chicken for dinner then you should of asked where that animal came from. Call me blunt or mean but there is no reason to sugarcoat things for a teen maturing just my two cents.
Going to try not to derail into the science or wildlife biology, but I think you’ve got two good things:
-Compassionate kid. The world always needs more compassion, & that often takes far more courage than cruelty. I’m a freshwater biologist & I still apologize to fish, crayfish, & other wildlife that I have to kill as voucher specimens for later ID/museum curation. I only do it if I have to, but it’s critical data – and I certainly don’t enjoy it.
-An important lesson about ethics & doing things humanely. There are a heckuva lot things worse than a clean death. And most animals live in the immediate present (& natural deaths are generally not very nice at all). IMO, even for myself, the best way to die is to be warm & calm one second & then just BAM gone the next.
Heck, I swerve my truck around fuzzy caterpillars in the road (when safe, obvs.). I don’t like to see any wildlife die. But I won’t hesitate to finish off a suffering animal – and it’s still ok to cry about it.
Far more worrisome is someone who DOESN’T feel anything about it, or worse, enjoys it. So thank you for your family’s thoughtful approach to coexisting with the lives around you & give your daughter a hug & you can tell her that even after 15+ years working with endangered species (i.e. watching a lot of things die, sigh), my heart still whimpers every time I pass roadkill. It’s ok.
[QUOTE=AKB;8431664]
I assume you also shoot any cats that you see in or around your barn, so as to prevent EPM. In one study, cats on the premises were related to a higher risk than opossums. I would have just covered the hay.[/QUOTE]
Our neighborhood is a dead end road of horse properties. If I chase the possum out it will most likely go to the next property, so now they are at risk.
Also, not all of the neighbors would care about being humane.
Hated doing it, I really did. We pondered the situation for a long time but that Possum didn’t even care we were in there. Standing 20 feet away he/she simply scratched at the hay to make a bed and get cozy.
Yes, some cats can carry EPM. All the cats in the neighborhood have vaccinations and go in at night. They also don’t go in and piss and poop on our hay.
This was not something done lightly. We have tarps. The go under them, which can be an even worse danger when we lift a tarp to find a scared wild animal under it.
This wasn’t just about EPM, it was about a wild animal that we are not allowed to legally relocate that was a hazard in multiple ways.
We completely leave alone animals that do not come into our buildings. We don’t even chase down the coyotes that take short cuts. This was a hard decision.
So very much agree, she is a wonderful wonderful kid.
OTTB: I did in fact point out we eat meat. She stated it was more the fact it was cornered and not intending to do harm. It was scared. Her empathy was on the situation itself.
Thank you everyone for your input. Maybe when she’s ready I’ll have her read this. She knows I’m a COTH addict.
[QUOTE=wildlifer;8432804]
Going to try not to derail into the science or wildlife biology, but I think you’ve got two good things:
-Compassionate kid. The world always needs more compassion, & that often takes far more courage than cruelty. I’m a freshwater biologist & I still apologize to fish, crayfish, & other wildlife that I have to kill as voucher specimens for later ID/museum curation. I only do it if I have to, but it’s critical data – and I certainly don’t enjoy it.
-An important lesson about ethics & doing things humanely. There are a heckuva lot things worse than a clean death. And most animals live in the immediate present (& natural deaths are generally not very nice at all). IMO, even for myself, the best way to die is to be warm & calm one second & then just BAM gone the next.
Heck, I swerve my truck around fuzzy caterpillars in the road (when safe, obvs.). I don’t like to see any wildlife die. But I won’t hesitate to finish off a suffering animal – and it’s still ok to cry about it.
Far more worrisome is someone who DOESN’T feel anything about it, or worse, enjoys it. So thank you for your family’s thoughtful approach to coexisting with the lives around you & give your daughter a hug & you can tell her that even after 15+ years working with endangered species (i.e. watching a lot of things die, sigh), my heart still whimpers every time I pass roadkill. It’s ok.[/QUOTE]
Just wanted to say I agree and thank you for writing that out.
