My Week in the Wild Kingdom

This five-foot-long sea turtle scooted past me on the shore of Ho’okepa, a popular surf spot, while I was visiting Maui last week. A few days later, my son and husband witnessed a black bear sleeping in a pine tree two blocks from our home in central Boulder, Colorado. This morning when I opened the front door to walk the dog, a small, red fox glared at me while it was trotting past my driveway. A minute later, four deer in the neighbor’s yard merely glanced up as we passed.

These wildlife encounters are fascinating and exhilarating but also sad and disturbing. Though it doesn’t get much more than Jacque Cousteau-like than having a giant sea turtle crawl past your beach towel, the situation did not fare well for the turtle. She made it about 25 feet onto shore, and I imagine she was considering laying eggs. She hung out for well over an hour but the inevitability of ooglers finally became too cumulative and too close and she suddenly turned and scampered back into the ocean.

As we populate, build and recreate it may be nearly impossible to stop this progression, though we should always remember to Respect Wildlife:

-Observe wildlife from a distance. Do not follow or approach them.
-Never feed animals. Feeding wildlife damages their health, alters natural behaviors, and exposes them to predators and other dangers.
-Protect wildlife and your food by storing rations and trash securely.
-Control pets at all times, or leave them at home.
-Avoid wildlife during sensitive times: mating, nesting, raising young, or winter.