IN MY BACK YARD

I’m no biologist, no specialist in animal behavior, nor am I an expert in any realm. However, through the years I have become a quite good observer -- an observer of both human and animal behaviors. As I get older, the similarities and differences of these behaviors become more obvious. Perhaps because I have more experience at observation or because I have puzzled so long about humanity’s difficulties and our inability to overcome them, I have begun to turn to nature for possible solutions. I know I’m not the first to do that.

Recently, two situations in my modest backyard have captured my attention with what I think is “unnatural” behavior in the animal kingdom.

Very early one morning, just about daybreak, I was looking out my kitchen window waiting on the coffee to brew. To my surprise, I spotted a small skunk headed for the fig tree between my and my neighbor’s yard. As it made its way, I saw a movement under the tree. It was a half-grown tiger stripe kitten. Uh oh, I thought. There’s going to be a fight and probably a pretty stinky one at that. The leaves are large on this fig tree and they grow almost to the ground, so it was difficult to see what actually happened. I saw a lot of rustling leaves and an occasional glimpse of a little black and white head. Before long, the kitten jumped out, shook itself, and started towards the alley. I assumed the skunk must have unleashed its ultimate weapon. I quietly eased open the back door to sniff the air and nope, no odor. Shortly, the little skunk came out and made a beeline for my neighbor’s house. It scooted into a hole that gives access to the crawlspace beneath the house.

When I related this story to a friend, she immediately pointed out the negative aspects of the event. She was fearful that the skunk might be rabid – after all, it was out and about at daylight (which is a myth, I discovered while researching the behavior of skunks), and if we didn’t have it caught and killed, we would soon have a bunch of rabid kittens all over the neighborhood.

This shocked me, as I had only been seeing the meeting of these two dissimilar creatures as a positive happening. I figured that these little animals were drawn to the water dishes I keep in my back yard for the birds – a valuable resource during this hot, dry summer. As the kitten and the skunk were both in need of a cool drink, they decided to put aside their differences and share the water. Then they went their separate ways.

I thought, “Why can’t man do the same?” We are all in need of the earth’s resources, and there are enough of them to go around if we could only put aside our differences and share. Too often people jump on the negative bandwagon. Fearful that there will not be enough, they would rather fight than share; kill the ones who threaten them or their supply. Look what it’s doing to our world.

Naive? Maybe. Simplistic? Certainly. But it worked in my back yard.

Marilyn
Summer 2006