Storytime Tapestry Newsletter

The newsletter devoted to spreading love and cultural awareness throughout the world.

Special Treat – Charlene Collins

February 26, 2008

Safety of Wildlife

Charlene Collins

A couple of days ago a deer had apparently gotten hit in the street near where I live and he had broken through the fence that surrounded my property. The doe that was hit was lying on top of the fence as it lay on the ground beneath her.  I had been out shopping and when I came home I found her lying in my front yard in the area of my birdbath. The poor girl couldn't move; she was severely hurt. She seemed to have a look in her eye that said "Please help me". It was obvious that her legs were broken from the impact. I called 911, and I had hoped that some wild life people would come and take her to a veterinary hospital or some wild life sanctuary, but that didn't happen. The policeman called for backup and shot the poor doe in the head. She didn't die right away, and the policeman shot her two more times.

Later that day I saw 2 little ones wandering in the street all alone and I was so afraid they would be hit or worse yet, shot by someone looking for easy prey. These babies were not old enough to really know how to take care of themselves. I was quite sure these fawns were the offspring of the doe that was killed in my yard. When I called and asked if there was an animal sanctuary that would protect these little ones from a certain death—either by a speeding car or by someone with a gun looking for easy prey—but I was told that the county I live in does not have funding for this. I don't know whatever happened to them, but I hope they will be safe and grow up to have babies of their own one day.

It seems there are more and more wildlife run over by vehicles in the springtime of the year. They have their mind on caring for their young and as alert as they are, they are not always aware of the dangers of vehicles coming down the road at 55 miles per hour. It is so painful for me to see wildlife laying dead in on the side of the road, but I hate to see a wounded one even more. That poor deer that made it to my property couldn't take himself to the hospital. With his eyes he pleaded with me to help him, but instead he was seen as a nuisance and exterminated.  He was left there to be picked up by whatever department picks up dead animals off the road, but it took 2 days for them to come. By that time the animal was ridden with flies and his body was breaking down causing a bad odor around my home.

I am wondering what can be done if you hit an animal and it is not dead? Doesn't an animal have as much right to life as we do? If a human being is hit by a car, a policeman does not make the decision to shoot him or her to put them out of their misery! Why is this done in the animal world? And why in some areas animals are rescued and cared for until released into the wild again, and in other areas they are put out of their misery and left to decay until someone decides to dispose of them?

More and ore wildlife is crowded out of their own sanctuaries. We humans develop more and more land into shopping malls and other big businesses while the wildlife is forced to find other places to eek out an existence. Where are they to go? They are forced to cross roads and highways and are blinded by headlights and hit and mangled and nobody cares. I think it is a shame there is no thought for the wildlife in our world.

Charlene Collins