The first time I came face to face with a real raptor was in Fort Collins.

The Rocky Mountain Raptor Program was at the Sustainable Living Fair and they had brought something remarkable. I've seen them a few times since, so I can't remember if it was the golden eagle, or the owl, or a hawk that particular time.

What I did take with me was the fact that when I asked the bird's name, they replied, "We don't name them. They aren't pets."

Don't name the wildlife? What about Smokey, Yogi and the Bearenstain Bears?

Well, real life isn't like cartoons or a Disney movie. Not naming wildlife is a symbolic and semantic separation between that which is civilized and that which isn't. We shouldn't interact with wildlife, with some exceptions made for those who believe in hunting, fishing, wildlife photography, etc. You don't have to make exceptions, or you can make all of them. I just wanted to share this unique perspective from a great Fort Collins institution.

 

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