Jun 08 2009
Wild Things
I read in the paper the other day that Alaskan state officials have cracked down on a guy named Charlie Vandergaw for feeding the bears. Evidently, he’s been doing this for quite some time now. Vandergaw lives by himself in a remote cabin and has befriended large, wild browns to the point where he can pet them. He’s been featured on a cable television network called Animal Planet. No doubt he has plenty of fans. But officials at Alaska Fish and Game can’t abide by it, so he’s been charged with illegally feeding game and could face a $10,000 fine or a year in jail for it.
Anyone who has a bird feeder in the back yard or who has tossed a nut to a chipmunk creeping into camp can relate to Vandergaw, I’m sure. We all know we’re not supposed to make wild animals dependent upon us for food, but it’s hard to resist feeding them. They’re so cute. Besides, there’s something about the tentative approach of a cautious creature that urges us to share our abundance. But a bear once fed will look again to humans for a free meal. What happens if an unsuspecting picnicker doesn’t comply? Everything is all very warm and fuzzy on Animal Planet, but sometimes our furry buddies get ugly off camera. That’s what the Alaskan officials are thinking about, anyhow.
Cockeyed libertarians look at the situation and see the government oppressing a gentle, old man who’s not hurting anyone. Calloused Alaskans believe the grizzlies will eventually turn on Vandergaw. Still others see this as a strange form of profiteering. After all, someone had to pay for the ton and a half of dog food that our TV grizzly man has provided. All this misses the point, I think. My question is this: When does the wild cease being the wild?
We’re all guilty of it. Nature lovers have their preserves. Scientists have their tranquilizing guns and radio collars. Hunters want the wild managed to optimize conditions for their prey. Urban planners have their green spaces. Even materialistic, money-mad developers, who clearly don’t give a damn about wild nature, still like manicured gardens and golf courses. We all want a piece of the wild under our thumb. It’s hard to leave it alone. And why should we?
Heaven on earth is often depicted as a place where the lion lies down with the lamb. This biblical notion has infected all of us more than we realize. One could argue that it’s written into the very definition of civilization. “Peace on earth” and “dog eat dog” are mutually exclusive concepts, aren’t they? Why not turn the entire planet into a garden and make all creatures our pets?
I don’t want to belabor this point. I’m sure that you can see quite clearly where I’m going with all this. I read about some guy chumming up to Alaskan browns and a part of me, having been exposed to them once, wants to do the same. Then it occurs to me how easy it is to love something to death. Truth is, in order for something to be truly wild it has to remain beyond our control. And that’s a concept we all find difficult to accept.
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