Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Hungry Critters Looking for Snacks

While walking my dog tonight, I saw a cat quickly scamper up a driveway across the street. Nothing unusual. But I had an odd feeling it was something bigger than a cat. Then, it scampered back down, with another four legged beast.

It was two coyotes.

I’ve heard that we’ve had coyotes on our street. The paper has also mentioned that my neighborhood has become a bit of a coyote playground. It has to do with there being no water, less food, up in the hills. As the natural rainfall diminishes, the amount of edible life diminishes. The coyotes (they are DOGS after all) come down into the neighborhood to scavenge for trash, pussy cats, maybe Louise!

I picked up my pooch. The coyotes were not afraid of me. I clapped my hands for them to go away. They moved a bit. They behaved as if they were very comfortable on my street. I decided to cut the walk short. I didn’t want to have to face two coyotes springing on my pooch. Funny, they kept enough distance to stay away from big ol’ me and they did not even look at Louise, it seemed. But coyotes, like foxes, can be sly. And I wasn’t taking any chances.

Louise and I arrived home, safely. She finished her business in the back yard.

One day, we all may be like these Mansfield coyotes. Wandering around, looking for food. They did not seem unhappy, the coyotes. In fact, these wild beasts loping along the street, appeared very in synch with the world. Not tamed. So pleasing to watch wild things surviving. It might be interesting if we all become untamed, with a lope that is a part of nature’s workings.

Perhaps the job of conservative administrations is to try to return the human animal back to foraging and hunting for existence. They might just love the hunt. Or to be hunted. I’d hunt them.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Someone spotted a coyote down by me last night (I am only 1 mile away from Don).

My theory about coyotes is like my theory about Mexican immigrants: they were here first and work harder than I do.

Todd HellsKitchen said...

That's wild. We get them here in Central Park sometimes...