Each morning I would talk softly to them and attempt to coerce them to come down and eat. After a few days they began to greet me, became more curious and would cautiously sit to eat.
For a few days they actually started to follow me around like puppies and unfortunately, I had to put a quick end to that. It made me feel as though I was abandoning them. But, they didn't hold it against me. They were back to quietly slipping out of the trees to greet me, appearing like magic.
And, by the time I left I started to notice them in various locations around the sanctuary. They were stepping out of their safe little haven... rocking on logs....
Scaring little cubbies up trees with their presence....
Attempting to establish dominance amongst themselves or just laying down to enjoy a treat with each other...
But what I saw just a few days before I left warmed my heart and was probably one of the dearest memories that I took with me....
This little guy below decided to cross from one side of the Sanctuary to the other and chose a path that went past Karen's cabin and the field where the big boys eat. When he approached Karen's cabin he was startled by the big male laying on her porch and he started to take a wide path around him. But the big boy reached out to the little guy and invited him to play!!! He came scampering back to the porch where they took turns swatting each other and the little guy practiced his posturing, making him look like a big bear....
They were making quite the ruckus ..... until..... Karen came out and scolded them for waking her up!!! To her defense... I've been in her cabin when they've just walked on her porch... it's really loud and I can only imagine what all that tussling about sounded like!!! He looks totally remorseful, doesn't he?
At this point I thought the fun was over and I was sent to walk a photographer around the grounds (that means I don't get to take a camera with me...*pouting*).
In fact, the fun was just beginning!!! Either the big boy invited the little boy over, or he just followed him to the mulch pile looking for more adventure... and more adventure he got!!!
The mulch pile can be a place of very serious dominance altercations (King of the hill), sunbathing, scratching and rolling around or total silliness.... this day is was a combination of them all!!!
The big boy decided to teach the little guy how to be a big boy and play king of the hill!!! He allowed the little guy to be the king, posture and slap him around. They were soon joined by two other big boys. It was hysterical!!
At first the little guy was posturing, up on two hind legs, on top of the pile looking as big and mean as he could... and with one little "poof" of a pat from one of the big boys, down he would go... They'd let him get back up there looking all big and mean and let the little guy give them a slap and they would go rolling and tumbling all the way to the bottom of the pile as though they had gotten whacked by the biggest bear in MN!!!! Sometimes the little guy would slap them and they'd put him in a bear hug and wrestle all the way down and get back up and do it all over again!!!
Now y'all know that with one sideways glance or real swat with those paws any of those big boys could have sent that little guy cowering into the woods for a week straight afraid of his own shadow again... but that wasn't to be the case this day. Today they were teaching him to be a "big boy" bear.
This went on for roughly an hour. And although I was able to do no more than to stand by and watch as the photographer got all the shots, I feel really blessed.
The Rat Pack is going to be okay.
2 comments:
what a show that must have been. it sounds like such a comedy!
It truly was Lime. I so wish I had photos to go with the story it was hysterical!!!
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