Yesterday, I witnessed a gruesome murder.
My sweet baby, Miss Lucy, and I were down by the river when an ominous shadow bled into our path.
But it was the sound that caught my attention.
The shrill was deafening.
At first, I thought it was rough, kinky sex, so I stayed out of it.
After all, who am I to judge. It's the law of nature and I'm certainly no expert in fowl behavior.
As much as I tried NOT to watch, I glared at a gang of geese dive-bombing in and out of troubled waters. The lead warrior straddled his opponent, forcing him under the current and against a jetty of rocks that intermittently jut out from crests of frantic waves.
His unworthy adversary temporarily escapes but is quickly recaptured, this time in a bed of quick sinking marsh.
Looming above, the wild thug prods and plucks at his victim’s neck - repeatedly, until the only sound is the rush of a murky current.
Sadly, this goose is cooked.
What would cause one goose to kill another? There were no goslings waddling about - it’s way too soon in the season for that.
Knowing they mate for life makes it even more disturbing.
Is killing, if not a matter of survival, ever justified? In animals? In humans?
Green Monkey Tales © 2010 Shannon E. Kennedy
photo's courtesy of Google Image
My sincerest thanks to those of you who read and comment.
Wow... that's quite a story. The circle of life is sure fascinating, just not something I want to see up close and personal.
ReplyDeleteHoly Moley-- that IS something. Plus, I like the way you wrote it too!
ReplyDeleteWe tend to think of nature as being a bit idyllic - and of course it isn't. Or at least not always. Thanks for this beautiful but heart-wrnching post.
ReplyDeleteWhat great pictures! Love them both!
ReplyDeleteMicki
Hey, I'm on constant hummingbird baby alert here. Danger abounds and some other birds are just waiting for the babies to hatch so they can have snack-time.
ReplyDeleteNature...I don't get it.
THAT is disturbing BB :( save the hummingbirds!!! what if you put a fake owl near the nest or a fake cat????
ReplyDeletewow thats intense. Perhaps they were fighting over potential mates? I once read a book called The Red Queen talking about how everything animals and humans do is out of a drive to get their genes into into the next generation. For a while it depressed me, until I realized it was totally and wholly untrue.
ReplyDeleteThanks you so much for your comment. Holly shares the same sentiments, seeing as she lost a brother (without a choice) when she was young. I would love for to quote my blog *smiles with pride*
Thanks!
Wow! I've never seen something like this. Why did they do that? I don't get it. I didn't know they were mates for life either. So, what is his/her mate going to do? I am kind of sad about this now.
ReplyDelete