What a very important letter Roselle, apologies for the delay in reading... I am snowed under and will be until end of term, much as I wish otherwise.
I am a great believer in letting things be... wolf - lets call that wolf a wild boar who is persecuted by hunters daily from September 1 onwards, a wolf it would be no different. Rat, we have aplenty in the chicken run... they tidy up all that the chickens leave and hornet, as you say, they are not aggressive creatures, ultimately ignorable despite a hefty sting. Sadly my husband is of the leap up, grab a rolled magazine, kill it quick variety - he would be hilarious to watch were it not for the final action.
And, I am so relieved to read, "The badgers gassed or beaten to death because we believe – wrongly – that they impart bovine tuberculosis to our cattle (it’s mostly the other way round)." I have been trying to explain this to the three landowners here for the last fifteen years... and still the leave bate or traps. I sabotage what I can but I cannot check all three setts on the hill every day... much as I would like to.
I hope your long weekend has been as warm as ours? xx
Ah what a lovely response, Susie, and thank you. I'm so glad you feel the same! And no need ever to apologise – we both know what busy-ness feels like!
When I was in Devon, I was part of a group that offered a humane trapping, vaccination, and release programme to local farmers who had badgers on their land. No one took us up, even though we were trained; instead, they spent thousands (literally) on bringing in marksmen to shoot them.
I had a rolling information page on my then-blog over a few years.
What is difficult to comprehend, and makes me despair sometimes, is how resistant so many people are to seeing/reading/hearing the evidence and changing their minds.
I agree entirely Roselle, there are only 12 departments in France that have outlawed badger hunting of any kind. Here in the Aveyron there is a small group who are fighting for the same but this is a deeply rural department with deeply rural attitudes - most of them of the beneficial old ways kind - but badgers? No... nobody will listen or even read anything that might be contrary of their beliefs. It is desperately frustrating and terribly sad. xx
Susie, thank you. I'm just back from the (very crowded) UK, the Westcountry, and there was quite a lot of roadkill. I'm still trying to work out if there's less here in France because there IS less per square mile, due to hunters' and others' bloodthirstiness, or because there are fewer cars on the roads... xx
I remember even after all these years the amount of roadkill both in the UK and in Ireland, I am not sure it is less per capita here but certainly in these rural places we are not subjected to daily tears... and thank goodness! xx
A moving piece of writing. I was reminded when reflecting on some of the issues of Women who Run with the Wolves. So much is related to our conditioning. Thanks. X
Oh thank you Marg! Yes indeed. These are entrenched collective issues, aren't they; and all embedded in the view that other-than-human species are here for our use... Rxx
Of course animals as symbols as in your lovely illustration are also important... would say more but a bit under the cosh preparing to go to France with Our Cat next week. He has an importance far beyond his 4.5 kilos!
They are indeed, as shamanic cultures the world over understand, and also as in myths, legends and folk tales. I wrote about this in my first book, Riding the Dragon.
Loved this one
Thank you!
What a very important letter Roselle, apologies for the delay in reading... I am snowed under and will be until end of term, much as I wish otherwise.
I am a great believer in letting things be... wolf - lets call that wolf a wild boar who is persecuted by hunters daily from September 1 onwards, a wolf it would be no different. Rat, we have aplenty in the chicken run... they tidy up all that the chickens leave and hornet, as you say, they are not aggressive creatures, ultimately ignorable despite a hefty sting. Sadly my husband is of the leap up, grab a rolled magazine, kill it quick variety - he would be hilarious to watch were it not for the final action.
And, I am so relieved to read, "The badgers gassed or beaten to death because we believe – wrongly – that they impart bovine tuberculosis to our cattle (it’s mostly the other way round)." I have been trying to explain this to the three landowners here for the last fifteen years... and still the leave bate or traps. I sabotage what I can but I cannot check all three setts on the hill every day... much as I would like to.
I hope your long weekend has been as warm as ours? xx
Ah what a lovely response, Susie, and thank you. I'm so glad you feel the same! And no need ever to apologise – we both know what busy-ness feels like!
When I was in Devon, I was part of a group that offered a humane trapping, vaccination, and release programme to local farmers who had badgers on their land. No one took us up, even though we were trained; instead, they spent thousands (literally) on bringing in marksmen to shoot them.
I had a rolling information page on my then-blog over a few years.
What is difficult to comprehend, and makes me despair sometimes, is how resistant so many people are to seeing/reading/hearing the evidence and changing their minds.
Rx
I agree entirely Roselle, there are only 12 departments in France that have outlawed badger hunting of any kind. Here in the Aveyron there is a small group who are fighting for the same but this is a deeply rural department with deeply rural attitudes - most of them of the beneficial old ways kind - but badgers? No... nobody will listen or even read anything that might be contrary of their beliefs. It is desperately frustrating and terribly sad. xx
Susie, thank you. I'm just back from the (very crowded) UK, the Westcountry, and there was quite a lot of roadkill. I'm still trying to work out if there's less here in France because there IS less per square mile, due to hunters' and others' bloodthirstiness, or because there are fewer cars on the roads... xx
I remember even after all these years the amount of roadkill both in the UK and in Ireland, I am not sure it is less per capita here but certainly in these rural places we are not subjected to daily tears... and thank goodness! xx
A moving piece of writing. I was reminded when reflecting on some of the issues of Women who Run with the Wolves. So much is related to our conditioning. Thanks. X
Oh thank you Marg! Yes indeed. These are entrenched collective issues, aren't they; and all embedded in the view that other-than-human species are here for our use... Rxx
Of course animals as symbols as in your lovely illustration are also important... would say more but a bit under the cosh preparing to go to France with Our Cat next week. He has an importance far beyond his 4.5 kilos!
Thank you, Jenny.
They are indeed, as shamanic cultures the world over understand, and also as in myths, legends and folk tales. I wrote about this in my first book, Riding the Dragon.
Good luck with the journey!