Get Happy With It!
By the People . . . For the People Serving Central Connecticut www.peoplespressnews.com
Wallingford Flower & Gift Shoppe
190 Center Street. 203.265.1514 February 2009 • Volume 9, Issue 112
Local Health and Wellness Services & Stories Inside
In honor of "The Night Tiger"
Last week a Great Horned Owl was found limping across a CT road dragging an illegal "foot hold" steel trap around by its mangled leg. As I read this story and watched the news coverage, needless to say, I was extremely saddened by it. This particular variety of owl, in my opinion, is the most magnificent of all of nature's birds of prey. It deserves to be honored and respected, not harmed due to the careless act of one or more ignorant individuals. When you become informed of some of the fascinating and interesting facts about this bird, you immediately become aware that this is much more than "just an animal" and that it is surely the handiwork of something much bigger and more profound than most can even imagine. It is respectfully nicknamed the "night tiger" and "a cat with wings" as it is an awesome night hunter equipped with talons and strength that can swiftly and mercifully takes down its prey. This bird has 500 pounds per square inch of gripping power in its talons! (An adult human male's hands have only 60 pounds per square inch!) It can turn its neck 270 degrees in either direction without moving its body!
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They have spectacular binocular vision that allows them to see and spot prey in low light and their hearing is even more spectacular than their vision as their ears are offset on either side of the head to help pinpoint both horizontal and vertical direction of sound! They are about 18-25 inches long and have a wingspan of 35-60 inches and lastly but sadly as related to this story, most great horned owls are known to mate for life. On the mystical side, the great horned owl is revered by many cultures and is believed to be a symbol of the feminine essence of Spirit. It is associated with the moon and night and is considered a bird of magic and darkness, of prophecy and wisdom. They say the owl teaches us to trust our instincts. Whoever set this trap certainly lacks the knowledge above that teaches us to respect nature and all of its creatures. Did they even consider such a thing happening and decided that "it's just an animal"? Did they even consider that someone's dog or cat or even someone's child could have been mangled by this trap and decided to set it anyway? I don't know these answers but just maybe they will read this and think twice next time. It's only natural to let an incident like this cause us to react emotionally and make it become a stepping stone to further ones cause or beliefs, but in the spirit of this newspaper, to find the good news in the world and in our town, let me just say that after reading several internet discussions posted by everyone from vegetarians to hunters and from trappers to wildlife rehabilitators, that the good news one can derive from this unfortunate incident is, that it seems, that most responsible people, no matter what their own personal views and beliefs on trapping or hunting or animal rights or wildlife rehabilitation, feel that this incident was illegal and unnecessary and horrific and are as saddened and sickened by it as I am. This is not a story about trapping; it is about illegal and immoral trapping. Respectful trappers everywhere are appalled by it. It is heart warming and encouraging, seeing the outpouring of emotion and help that is coming from people everywhere, who thanks to the media, have heard of our local celebrity. I am told that people as far away as Canada have offered to rehabilitate this poor creature and that wildlife rehabilitation centers all over have had their phones ringing off the hook as concerned individuals scramble to find hope for this great bird of prey. Finally, in closing, my respect and good wishes to Kathy Grasso, veterinarian and wildlife rehabilitator for her compassion and care for this creature and I trust that whatever the outcome of this story, that she will insure that it is made from a place of compassion and experience. Thank you, James Rusate
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