THERE’S NO SUBSTITUTE

FOR THE ZOO.

Open 9am to 5pm year-round. Check out www.calgaryzoo.com or call us at (403) 232-9300.
 Issue 01 August-September/2005

Publisher
Bob Fielder
publisher@creaturesall.ca
Editor (Articles and Inquiries)
Linda Fielder
editor@creaturesall.ca
Display Ad Inquiries
In This Issue
(403) 512-9544
sales@creaturesall.ca Corridors for Cougars – she debated whether to
www.creaturesall.ca
Graphic Design jump out of the tree or not 8
Bob Fielder
publisher@creaturesall.ca Seen and Not Herded – some critters just won’t be
Account Information
Linda Fielder reasoned with 15
editor@creaturesall.ca
Oh, For the Love of... – a story about priorities 16

Printing
A Creature of a Different Colour – what could be
Quebecor World cuter than a new born baby? 20
Canadian address:
creaturesall
P.O. Box 126,
Pointed Lessons – an encounter with the working
Langdon, AB T0J 1X0 end of a porcupine 24
creaturesall is published 6 times per year (February,
April, June, August, October and December) by Breaking Down Fences – insight from the A.I.W.C. 28
1160613 ALBERTA LTD. and distributed freely in
Alberta the first week of the publication month.
Advertisers and contributors assume responsibility
and liability for the accuracy of their claims and
statements. The opinions and views expressed in
Columns
articles do not necessarily reflect those of the
Publisher or advertisers. creaturesall reserves the
right to refuse any advertising. Unsolicited Wagging Tales – stories from a veterinarian’s clinic 11
manuscripts will not necessarily receive a reply.
Writers may submit a story idea by email to
editor@creaturesall.ca
Creature Feature – the Calgary Zoo 13
Copyright 2005 by 1160613 ALBERTA LTD.
Novel Suggestions – readers contribute their book reviews 18
Cover Artist
Rob Davie
combined his love of The Wild File – Canadian Parks and Wilderness 23
animals and an ability to
draw at an early age,
sketching and painting
Youth Said It – creature concerns 27
animals in his home
town of Tottenham Ont.
His family moved to
The Final Word – looking deeper 30
Calgary in 1977 and still
resides there today.
Always encouraged and
supported by his late mother, Noreen, he went on
to graduate from ACAD in 1994 and has been
Departments
freelancing ever since. He works in a variety of
subject matter and mediums, from realistic styles
in acrylic, watercolor and pencil to recently Publisher’s Note 5
published children's books. When he's not work-
ing on projects or commissioned works, Rob is
drawn back to what he loves to paint the most,
Letters – paw prints and pen scratches 7
animals and nature. Google search “Rob Davie”
email: robertgdavie@yahoo.ca/Ph: 403 275-9395. In Passing – celebrating the lives of animal friends 19
page3
page4

Welcome to the inaugural issue
of creaturesall, dedicated to sharing
stories of all things fur, feathers,
fins, skins and scales. Our stories
are written by our readers,
motivated only by a desire to tell
their stories. It is our shared view
that we all abhor sins of omission or
commission against all creatures,
great or small, human or otherwise.
Although these pages will focus on
the ‘otherwise’ more often than not,
the impact is felt by all of us.
So read... and then write. Tell
us your ‘otherwise’ story, be it funny,
tragic, heart-wrenching or heartfelt.
Make us laugh. Make us cry.
Educate us. Tell us what’s wrong,
what’s missing? What’s just right?
We’re not about a growing con-
cern, we’re about showing concern.
We’re not about self interest but
about being interesting. We’re not
about a movement, we’re about
moving stories. Send a letter, a story,
an idea (editor@creaturesall.ca).
We are supplemented with the
much appreciated input of regular
columnists from the Calgary Zoo,
Canada Parks and Wilderness and,
for our inaugural issue, Calgary
veterinarian, Dr. Julie Schell. We’ve
assigned space to celebrate the lives
we’ve shared with our animal
friends. Our “In Passing” column
shares recollections of those lives
deserving of remembrance.
Sometimes we see or read of
things which so excite us, so enrage
us or so move us that we just have to
share it. The Final Word column,
found on page 30, is your opportunity
to stand behind the podium and
state your case, uninterrupted.
A special mention of our cover
art is in order, along with special
thanks to Rob Davie for his
permission to use Puji. It will be our
mandate to showcase photographers
PUBLISHER’S
NOTE
and artists from all media whose
work exemplifies our mission to
spread the word of all things fur,
feathers, fins, skins and scales.
If you are such an artist, or
know of a deserving soul, send along
the contact information to us at
(publisher@creaturesall.ca) and
we’ll follow wherever it leads.
I can not go another paragraph
without mentioning my wife Linda,
who is handling all of the editorial
duties for creaturesall. It’s a big task
and her attention to detail is
immeasurable and hugely appreciated.
I want to especially acknowledge
our advertisers. They are such a
critical element in an endeavor such
as creaturesall and without such
enthusiastic partners, we just wouldn’t
be here. Read what they have to say
and tell them you saw them here. If
you want to learn more about
advertising in creaturesall visit our
web site (www.creaturesall.ca) or
email us at sales@creaturesall.ca or
give us a call at 403-512-9544.
If you love our magazine and
think you might like to be a part of
what we are doing here, there is an
ad on page 29, that you (and your
cat) need to read. creaturesall is
looking for that perfect blend of
happy spirit, determined work ethic,
organizational freak and self starter,
who likes the idea of working from
their home with self determined, flex
hours. Read the ad... make the call.
From here, the future looks
great! You can find creaturesall in
over 170 locations in and around
Calgary. When you’re done with your
copy, pass it on to a friend. Practice
guerrilla marketing by leaving it at a
café or patio for another to pick up,
enjoy and pass along. ca
encouraging you to read, then write
Bob & Linda Fielder
page5
 Down to earth design
design • furnishings • art

Willow Studio
1437 Kensington Road NW, Calgary
~ 230.9226

www.willowstudio.ca

page6

paw prints and pen scratches
Lions Foundation of Canada in
Oakville, Ontario granted me my
miniature poodle, Ollie, in
November 1997. He was trained
there for one year. Then Ollie and I
were on training together for two
weeks. After our graduation we
flew to Vancouver, BC where I live.
Ollie will be nine years old on
August 11th, 2005. He knows eight
different signs. At Lions Foundation
of Canada they taught him different
sounds: doorbells, a clock alarm,
knock at the door, fire alarms,
microwave, etc.
I have a special registration I.D.
card for Ollie and myself to use
when we are in shopping malls,
Safeway, buses - everywhere we go
together. Ollie is a good and intelli-
gent dog. I have other deaf friends
who have hearing dogs as well. We
usually meet together at Dog Park
in New Westminster, BC where all
the dogs enjoy playing together once
a week.
Margo Pelkey
New Westminster, BC
Margo Pelkey with her hearing
dog, Ollie.
LETTERS
Congratulations on the launch
of your new magazine! I was very
excited when I heard that Calgary
would be getting a magazine devoted
to our animal friends. This niche
has been ignored for far too long.
Our city and area is filled not only
with household pets, but with farm
animals and wildlife as well. They
each play a role in enhancing our
daily lives, and I look forward to
reading and learning about them.
Creaturesall will be a welcome
addition to my list of reading
materials! It’s great to know that
whenever I drop into Safeway, or
Coop I can look for the newest
issue. Thanks, and Good Luck!
Al Bromley
Calgary, AB
I am pleased to see a new
publication that so closely mirrors
my own interests. One topic I would
like to see covered is new legislation
related to animal welfare.
Many countries in Europe, and
even some places in the United
States, have recently introduced
more stringent laws regarding the
treatment of both companion
animals and so-called food animals.
Perhaps if Canada had introduced
similar laws a few years ago, we
would not now be facing problems
such as avian flu and mad cow
disease. I would be interested in
seeing continuing coverage of the
steps different governments take
to protect animals from
mistreatment.
Sandra Guilliame
Calgary, AB
Letters to the editor should be emailed
to editor@creaturesall.ca. Please be
sure to include your name, address and
daytime telephone number, with
“Letter to the Editor” as the subject line.
page7
 half-eaten mule deer is strewn in the driveway as I Andrew arrives and we follow the deer drag marks

A pull in following a drive in search of fresh cougar

tracks. The grey hairs swirl around the yard like
dandelion clocks as a dog moves away, grumbling and guilty,
and cougar tracks to the landlady’s greenhouse. A bed of
grey and white hairs and assorted bones - the remainder
of the mule deer - are incongruously nestled amid the
tail between its legs. The landlady’s two dogs had been rusting metal, rotting wood, and a dilapidated washing
dragging home deer bits and pieces for weeks and pieces of machine. The unmistakable musky scent of
blood-streaked bones frequently dotted the lawn. cats permeates the space. The radio
I had already told the landlady that a cougar
was in the area and that she should keep her
dogs inside in the evening.
The phone rings as I close the door.
CORRI signal is markedly quieter now;
the cat must have moved on.
I had been monitoring
this cougar for the past
by Cheryl-Lesley Chetkiewicz

DO
A n d r e w year as part of an
G u s t av s o n , ongoing study to
Fish
Wildlife
Officer with
and
cougar habitat
use and move- RS document

Sustainable
Resource
ment patterns in
order to define and
FO
Development
in Blairmore,
says that he
just received
locate wildlife corridors in
the Crowsnest Pass, 200 km
southwest of Calgary. The five com-
munities comprising the municipality
R
a frightened have all been undergoing increasing
call from a suburban expansion and development as well as
w o m a n the expected twinning of Highway 3, a major
about a southern transportation route.
cougar in her The cougar female and her kittens were
backyard. I regular visitors amongst the homes and acreages
barely have north of Coleman where she made a living on the
time to get my telemetry gear together before there is a mule deer browsing in and around the community. She
knock on my door. The woman was the landlady’s daugh- was captured in February of 2003. Using trained hound
ter. She was pale and wide-eyed and visibly shaken as she dogs and experienced houndsmen, we located her tracks
exclaimed with fear, “I just saw a cougar! Right there in the in the snow one kilometre northwest of Highway 940. She
yard! I am so scared of cougars!” did not have any kittens with her at that time. The dogs,
As I reassure her, my own reaction is one of excitement. normally used to hunt cougars in the area, were released
How incredible to see one of North America’s most solitary to follow the tracks until the cat sought the safety of a tree.
and secretive cats in your own back yard on a Wednesday As we secured the dogs, she appeared to fall asleep
afternoon. Welcome to the Crowsnest Pass in southwest and looked entirely bored with the proceedings below.
Alberta! Fish and
We both Wildlife
go out- Officers
side. she debated whether to jump out of the tree or not prepared a
As I cocktail of
suspected, immobiliz-
the signal from a collared female I have been following for ing drugs based on her estimated weight and placed the
this past year is strong and only metres away. She has two mixture in a dart. The female was calm in the tree until the
large kittens with her and they are probably watching the dart landed in the large muscle mass around her thigh.
commotion with as much apprehension of the house’s With ears back and teeth bared, she debated whether to
occupants, as they of her. The signal is the strongest jump out of the tree or not. The air is filled with the
in the direction of the woodpile behind the rusted-out sounds of dogs yelping and bawling hysterically as
farm machinery. I can almost see the twitching black tip we moved away to assess her behaviour and response
of her tail. Crouched down, her feet like saucers to the drugs.
are pressed under her chest, almost as in prayer. Ten minutes later, she is immobile and can be handled
She gazes intently as we leave the balcony and head safely. She was lowered to the ground using a rope around
downstairs to take a closer look at the mule deer carcass her hind foot and placed on a tarpaulin where we could
in the driveway. take standard body measurements and assess her body

page8
 condition and response to the drugs.
She was in excellent body condition
and probably three or four years-old.
Finally, we applied a Global
Positioning System (GPS) collar,
programmed to take her position
every four hours. After an hour, she
began to recover and moved away
from the site.
She was monitored throughout
the year, both on the ground and
from the air, until her collar dropped
off in February, 2004. During this
time, she must have been bred by a
male cougar and had two kittens. The
kittens were growing well and the
COUGARS
three were spotted on a number
of occasions together throughout the
year, often in people’s backyards, and
on the myriad of roads and cutlines
that cross their home range.
She was one of seven cougars
captured and collared during 2003 as
part of the study initiated in 2001.
Eleven cougars have been collared to
date. The data obtained suggests a
rich variety of individual movement
behaviors and habitat use in the
Valley. Their proximity to human
development and the ability of some
of the cats to cross the highway is par-
ticularly revealing for the generally
nocturnal and solitary predator. For
example, one large male captured in
Photos courtesy: Gleb Raygorodetsky
2003 crossed Highway 3 on five
occasions often during the early
morning hours, whereas a second
female crossed in the middle of the
afternoon!
At the other end of the behav-
ioral continuum, a number of cats
have never crossed the highway and
their home ranges appear to be
aligned with this major linear feature.
Whether they would cross the
highway if an ecological corridor were
provided remains a mystery.
Ecological corridors are typically
promoted in wildlife conservation to
ensure movement across fractured
and fragmented landscapes. They can
be as simple as a riparian buffer
alongside a stream or as unnatural as
a culvert passing under a road.
They are appealing as they provide
one of the few solutions to
fragmentation that managers can
“do something about.”
Surely, if we know where animals
are moving and what parts of the
landscape are more suitable, we can
use that information to help secure,
restore, or maintain movements.
However, methods for identifying
corridors in real landscapes tend to
involve looking at aerial photos and
guessing where they could be or
declaring de facto ecological
corridors wherever habitat is left
undisturbed by human land uses.
I hope to address this
limitation by using cougar
movement behavior to
better determine what
features of the landscape best predict
where corridors could be located
given current suburban development,
industrial activities as well as the
impact of the Lost Creek fire and the
resulting network of new roads
developed to salvage burnt timber
and fire breaks.
It is hoped that these areas will
be used by other species that share
the Valley with the cougars. As
cougars and other carnivores try and
adapt to the changing landscape they
find themselves in, it is hoped that
page9
this research will be used to inform
municipalities and conservation
organizations as they develop
land-use plans and strategies.
There are obvious safety issues
associated with having cougars and
other carnivores in our midst.
Perhaps most important is being
aware of their presence and avoiding
kills or areas where a kill may have
been buried. Children and pets
should be monitored when playing
outside near wooded areas and if
confronted, should know the
importance of fighting back and
reacting aggressively.
But it is hard for me to envision
an Alberta without cougars despite
the potential safety risks associated
with living with them. By not
including them and other carnivores
in the land-use decision making in
communities that are thriving by
providing the “wilderness
experience”, we
run the risk of
losing one of the
true sentinels of
wildness.
(Cheryl Chetkiewicz
is a Ph.D. candidate
at the University of
Alberta,Depart-
ment of Biological
Sciences, where she
is working on cougar
and grizzly bear
habitat selection and
movement patterns
in the Crowsnest
Pass and the Canmore region of the
Bow Valley. Cheryl is the recipient of
an Alberta Ingenuity Fund Studentship
and supported by the Wilburforce
Foundation, the Wildlife Conservation
Society, the Nature Conservancy of
Canada and the Alberta Conservation
Association). ca
Published previously in:
Alberta Wilderness Association's jour-
nal Wild Lands Advocate 12(3): 22-23,
June 2004. View online at:
http://www.albertawilderness.ca/AWR
C/WLA/2004/WLA200406.pdf
 PILATE
&
S
YO A
G

E
BL
A

AVAIL
ENJOY ONE FREE DROP IN CLASS
(value $14) mention this ad - Offer expires Oct 15, 2005

2nd Level Royal Bank

corner of Southland and Fairmount Dr.
206 – 9919 Fairmount Dr. S.E.
www.yogahavencalgary.com 225•0580

A TOTAL EQUINE EXPERIENCE

Camps • Birthdays • Bareback • Group Functions
Adventures • Trail Rides • Lessons • Tipi Sleeps

Just east of Bragg Creek on Hwy 8 403-686-0120 eaglefeatherriding.ab.ca

page10

’ll never
I forget the
day that I
first met a cute little black Cocker
Spaniel cross Jack Russell terrier
named Timo. She originally came to
our hospital to be boarded at our
boarding center because her owner
was traveling. During her pre-board-
ing exam, I immediately noted that
she had a very obvious red lump
protruding from her right 3rd eyelid.
On closer inspection I noted that
Timo was suffering from a prolapsed
gland of her 3rd eyelid, a condition
known as a Cherry Eye because the
gland looks very much like a bright
red cherry. This is a relatively com-
mon condition that can occur in all
breeds but most commonly in the
Shih Tzu, Cocker Spaniel and Bichon
Frise. Most often cherry eyes develop
in young dogs but sometimes they can
develop when the dog is over 2 or 3
years of age.
As I was discussing the cherry
with the owner, he said that he hadn’t
really noticed that Timo had a
problem. He thought she was normal
because she never seemed to be both-
ered by the protruding red mass. I
explained how cherry eyes, if left too
long, can increase the chances of eye
infection. The gland of the third
eyelid is involved in producing tears
that are important for washing debris
from the eyes and keeping them
moist. Third eyelids also have a
greater risk of being damaged when
left outside their proper position for
too long, and are much more difficult
to surgically repair the longer they
are left alone.
I knew that surgery had to be
done to fix Timo’s problem and
explained the procedure to the
owner. All the while, Timo stood
there on our exam room bench
wagging her tail, almost smiling, and
WAGGING TALES
stories from a veterinarian’s clinic
happily accepting liver treats! She
didn’t appear to understand that she
would not only be staying at our
boarding center for the next week,
but would also be having surgery to
repair a 4 year old problem! “Don’t
worry Timo”, her owner reassured
her, “they’ll look after you here and
fix that cherry eye!”
After Timo settled into her
boarding suite for a few days, I
collected some data from her to
ensure that her anaesthesia would go
as safely and smoothly as possible. I
collected blood to analyze her organ
function as well as the health of her
platelets, red and white blood cells.
Fortunately Timo was a very
healthy dog so we
performed the
surgery. She
did very well
during the
anaesthe-
sia. Our
animal
h e a l t h
technicians
monitored
her blood
pressure,
breathing, heart
rate, and body tem-
perature closely during her
anaesthesia. We gave her intravenous
fluids throughout the procedure and
she woke up very well with her eye
restored to its normal orientation.
I’ll never forget the look on
Timo’s face when she awoke from the
anaesthesia. It was as if she was
happy that she no longer had a large,
red lump sticking out of her eyelid.
Or perhaps she was just feeling good
from all of the pain control medica-
tions that she had been given!
Whatever the case, she recovered
very well from her surgery, enjoyed
the rest of her boarding stay and
page11
by Dr. Julie Schell BSc(Hons), DVM
went home a few days later.
One week later I saw Timo for
her post-surgical exam. She again was
in our exam room joyfully munching
on some liver treats and wagging her
tail. I was very happy to see that her
cherry eye repair was still looking
good. There was no infection and she
was healing well. I asked her owner
how she had been doing at home.
“No worries at all”, he exclaimed,
“Timo is feeling healthy enough to get
into some bubble gum”!
“Pardon me?” I questioned.
“How did she get into that?”
“Well, I stepped out for just a few
minutes. I had left my jacket laying out
and inside one of the pockets I had
some cherry flavored chewing gum.
When I got home I saw she had
pulled the gum out from the
pocket and
was standing in a pile
of shredded gum
wrappers!”
Most dogs do very
well after eating bubble
gum; it usually passes
through the digestive
tract without any prob-
lems. Fortunately Timo did
not suffer any indigestion
afterwards.
“I guess she’s just really into
cherries!” I said. “Keep checking on
her eye and let me know if the 3rd
eyelid ever pops out again!”
Fortunately, Timo is still doing
well and is as happy a dog as ever!
For more information browse
www.bowbottomvet.com ca
Dr. Julie Schell BSc(Hons), DVM is a
partner at Bow Bottom Veterinary
Hospital and Boarding Centre
www.bowbottomvet.com and enjoys
every minute of it! She can be contacted
at dr.schell@telus.net
page12

The Calgary Zoo is home to many
rescue animals that can no longer live
in the wild. These animals act as
ambassadors helping to educate hundreds
of thousands of people about their
species’ plight in the world each year.
One of the Zoo’s most well-known
rescue animals is a grizzly bear named
Skoki. This is his story.
koki’s life
S began in
1 9 9 0
when he was
born in the
Skoki Valley,
located over
seven thou-
sand feet up
in the Rocky
Mountains, high
above Lake Louise. His
mother taught him all he
needed to know to live successfully in
the wilderness of the Banff National
Park. Animals that live in the Park,
especially in the Bow Valley Corridor,
have to learn to adapt and avoid the
hazards of living along side a very
busy major highway, an equally busy
secondary highway and a heavily used
east/west railway line.
In 1994, the young grizzly bear
began feeding along the shoulders of
the highway attracting many motorists
who stopped to take photographs and
causing “bear jams” in the Lake Louise
Area. On a particularly bad day one
warden noted seeing about forty
people running around in the bushes
with fifteen to twenty people out of
their vehicles taking photographs. As a
result of his interactions with humans,
the young bear was trapped, tagged as
“Bear #16” and airlifted to a remote
area of his range.
During the summer of 1995, Bear
#16 was again seen feeding along the
highway, having found his way back to
CREATURE FEATURE
Skoki the grizzly bear
by Kathleen Hewitt
the Lake Louise area of Banff Park. be destroyed if he ever returned to
However, this time he was also feeding the Bow Valley area of Lake Louise.
along the adjacent railroad tracks. In Just four days later on June 29,
an attempt to “defend” grain, a rich after crossing three remote mountain
but unnatural food source he found passes in deep spring snow, Bear #16
spilled on the railroad tracks and in again returned to the Lake Louise
truck pull-outs, the bear was now bluff area. The park wardens prepared to
charging some of the vehicles. Again trap him for the last time which
Bear #16 was trapped and would have meant a death sentence,
airlifted to yet another unless a facility was able to take care
remote area of his of the grizzly bear, now in his prime
range.
On May 15,
1996 Bear #16
at six years old.
Fortunately for Bear #16, the
Calgary Zoo had a very rare opening
entered the for a grizzly bear. On July 5, 1996 he
Lake Louise was removed and transported to the
town-site, Rocky Mountain ecosystem at the
after once Calgary Zoo. Although his life was
again finding saved, he leaves no legacy in the
his way back to wilderness because he did not have the
Lake Louise. His chance to father any cubs.
behaviour showed that On his arrival at the Calgary Zoo
he was Bear #16 was
habituated and renamed
quite fearless Skoki after
of people in his his home
search for birth place in
food. One day, the wild.
as he boldly Today Skoki’s
strolled along days consist
the shops of of foraging
Samson Mall for his food,
in Lake Louise basking in the
village, he sunshine,
paused to look lounging in
in through the his pool and
open door of the bakery, not the least interacting with his enrichment
bit afraid of the shoppers in the items. He also plays an important
store. Wardens now kept a very close role as an animal ambassador.
eye on Bear #16 and on June 23,
while looking for food he stepped What Can We Learn
onto a tent inside the Lake Louise From Skoki’s Story?
Campground. Fortunately no one was It is important to help other wild
injured in the incident. bears avoid the slippery slope of
On June 25, Bear #16 was once habituation. If you see a bear at the
again trapped and moved to another side of the road, please do your part
remote area of his home range. There to save the wild grizzly population
were no options left open for this and drive past, leaving it to its natural
unfortunate bear; he would have to food sources. ca
page13
Enso- Animal Massage and Bodywork

Karen Christensen

403.650.7925

Certified for Acupressure, Energy Work,

Massage and TTouch
Member of IAAMB, TTeam Guild

The touch of love for your animal friend

page14
 must admit to enjoying no matter how well intentioned the just then begun to take note of the

I
under
country living. It is with the
greatest of reluctance and
only the gravest of
circumstances that I voluntarily face
the rigours of urban existence. One
such circumstance is my bi-weekly
visit to the bank.
My bank happens to be the RBC
at the corner of 32 Ave and 12 St NE,
in Calgary... a very high traffic
intersection directly opposite a golf
course. As I approached the bank’s
parking lot from the west, while
motoring along 32 Ave., I noticed a
mother duck and her six tiny
gesture. Reacting to the undeniably
ridiculous spectacle of this obviously
inferior species rushing head long
into moving traffic, arms akimbo
and eyes ablaze, they fanned out all
over the place. With some rushing
back up onto the sidewalk, the lip of
which was at least double their
duckling height, and still others
rushing head onward into traffic,
the result no where near paralleled
the plan.
Still stopping traffic, at this the
noon rush hour, I decided my
priorities had better be with those
mirthful reaction of my fellow bank
patrons to my circus-like escapades
just outside the window.
Humbled, I pulled out to leave
the parking lot only to see the mother
and her six babes back on the road,
headed for the golf course with traffic
at a complete standstill. Another
fellow, who had obviously learned
from my example, was completely
ignoring the ducks and focussing on
traffic control with complete and
utter success. No chaos, no panic, no
attack. Just a mother and six orderly
ducklings, marching single file, doing

SEEN and not by Trebor Redleif

HERDED

ducklings making an obviously who had rushed chaotically into ever y-

suicidal attempt to cross from the
boulevard nearest the bank, across
six lanes of fast moving traffic, all in
what I perceived to be a doomed rush
for the safety of the golf course.
Not hesitating long enough to put
my brain in gear before I took my
truck out of it, I swerved into the
parking lot, jumped out of my still
running vehicle and rushed onto 32nd
with one hand stuck out trying to stop
traffic and the other gesturing for the
ducks to move back up and off the
roadway.
Ducks, being ducks, are prone to
pay little attention to duck herders,
DUCK
traffic. I bent, cajoled, yelled, thing
scooped and scowled until I had all ‘by the
six back up on the sidewalk. book’,
Just as a sense of relief and short
accomplishment began to flood over of stop-
me I felt a tremendous “WHACK!!” ping to
in the centre of my forehead. The look both
mother was apparently not nearly so ways before
impressed with me as I was with crossing.
myself and she attacked with vigour. All's well
She didn't let up until I ran, bruised that ends
emotionally and spiritually, into the well, I suppose. They
relative safety of the bank line-up. say the road to Hell is
I then attempted to complete my paved with good
financial transaction, all the while intentions; so too is 32nd
avoiding eye contact, as I had only Ave. in the N.E. ca

page15

Oh, for the love of....
1
E ver since I was a child, I have
loved animals. To anyone who
knows my family, this will come
as no surprise. My parents have
instilled in me a sense of love, com-
passion, and above all, respect for
animals. They have always led by
example, and I would like to share
with you some of these examples.
Growing up on the farm, we had
the ubiquitous complement of barn
cats. Over the years there were any-
where from two to thirteen orange
cats, plus assorted strays, that lived
2 with us. These cats had it pretty good
– a big old barn full of mice and
pigeons, four acres of land to roam
over, and a family of humans who
doted on them. This, however, wasn’t
good enough. In addition to feeding
all these cats, my Dad built a special
“cat house” for our feline family to live
in. It had a special door, designed to
minimize heat loss when the cats
came and went, comfy padding inside
for them to sleep on, and a heat lamp
to keep them warm. I can only
3 imagine how much the electricity bill
for that heat lamp must have been! It
was not unusual to peek inside on a
winter’s evening and see a dozen
orange cats snuggled together under
the rays of the heat lamp.
My Dad was pretty pleased with
himself over this arrangement, until he
realized that our other outside cat, a
tabby named Jaguar, refused to share
the cat house with the others. This left
poor Jaguar sleeping outside on those
cold nights, and that just wouldn’t do.
4 Dad built Jaguar his own heated and
cushioned cat house as well.
In addition to the outside cats,
we also had a very special indoor cat.
Mom and Dad wanted my brother
and I to have a cat of our own to look
after, so off we went to the SPCA. We
picked out a nice, fluffy, even tem-
pered orange cat to be our inside cat.
Because he needed vaccinations we
couldn’t take him home that day. Dad
page16
by Sandy Rae
returned later to pick him up and
learned that our newly adopted cat
had inadvertently been given to
another family over the weekend.
Searching anew, he couldn’t help but
notice another cat waiting for adop-
tion – he was also orange, but that’s
where the resemblance ended. This
cat was rolling around on the floor of
his cage, crying and flailing. He was
clearly quite disturbed. Dad couldn’t
help it – he knew if we didn’t adopt
him, no one else would. So home he
came with a mentally disturbed pet.
Through patience and love, Curtains
the cat became a lovely animal, and
for 20 years was my best and most
cherished animal friend.
In more recent years, my parents
began adopting dogs. They had one
dog already, and decided to adopt a
second. Again they travelled to the
SPCA and chose an adorable black
lab puppy named Mugs. Within days
of bringing Mugs home, it became
clear that she was very ill. A consulta-
tion with the vet revealed that she
had parvo – a disease that is usually
fatal to dogs. The SPCA offered to
take her back and replace her with
another dog, but my parents refused.
Rather than exchange her like a piece
of defective merchandise, they spent
in excess of a thousand dollars – on a
dog we had had for less than a week
– trying to cure her. Against all odds,
Mugs survived and grew into a happy
and healthy companion who stayed
with us for many years.
Another adopted dog, an
Australian cattle dog named Marnie,
came to my parents with several emo-
tional problems. She had separation
anxiety and what was the equivalent
of an eating disorder in humans.
Mom and Dad have been unbelievably
patient with her, making her feel safe
and comfortable with them. Because
Marnie would not eat unless she was
being supervised, Dad would stand
outside with her at mealtimes – in all
sorts of weather – urging her to eat
until she finished her dinner. Marnie
has improved immeasurably, and
although she is still somewhat
dependent, her quality of life is so
much better than it was.
In just the last few months, my par-
ents have had even
more opportunities
to demonstrate
their commitment
to their animals.
Their ten year
Many people would
old Staffordshire
terrier, Murphy,
began having prob-
lems moving her
choose to have their dog
back legs. She
could not walk on
linoleum,
could she climb
nor put down.
stairs. X-rays
revealed serious
spinal problems that would necessi-
tate multiple surgeries and a long stay
at the clinic. Many people would
choose to have their dog put down
rather than face this type of expense,
but not my parents. Although they
could not afford it, Murphy was
booked into the medical centre and
underwent the surgeries. Both my
5 6
parents drove in from the farm to the
city just about every day for visits and
consultations. Murphy is back at
home now and doing very well – but
again, my parents didn’t stop there.
Special carpeted lanes were laid
down over the linoleum so that
Murphy can walk comfortably, and
she gets carried up and down the
stairs whenever she needs it. It’s no
small feat to carry a fifty pound dog
up and down icy stairs in the winter! My parents are not wealthy
And last but not least, my Dad people, but they routinely put the
demolished the living room couch and welfare of their animals before
turned it into a custom built dog sofa financial considerations. Mom may
for Murphy to lie on in pampered roll her eyes at the heated cat house or
comfort. the dog sofa, but I know that she
My Mom and Dad’s commitment would be sorely disappointed if Dad
didn’t do these
things. Through
word and exam-
ple my parents
have always
shown compas-
sion and respect
to our animal
friends. The les-
sons I learned
about respecting
animals
translated
have
respecting the
to
humans around
me as well.
Because of my parents’ example, I am
to animals doesn’t end with their a kinder, gentler, and more generous
pets. Every spring, their property is person than I might have been. This is
invaded by a horde of tiny frogs. a lesson that I’m glad I learned, and
Rather than exterminate them, my one I intend to pass on to my own
parents put out a frog house for them children as well. Our world would be a
to take shelter in, and have filled the more wonderful place if more people
yard with wonderful places for a frog learned these lessons from parents
to hide. They not only feed the birds like mine. ca
7
that flock to their home, but take
1) Marnie: Australian cattle dog
special care to see that the magpie
with the injured wing gets his fair 2) Pile o’ cats: abandoned at our gate
share. And just the other day, 3) Dopey: the one winged magpie
hundreds of bumblebees descended
4) Jaguar: abandoned at our farm
on a pile of sawdust to carry it away
for their own mysterious purposes. 5) Murphy: after spinal surgery
No one tried to scare them away or
6) Curtains: SPCA rescued cat
sprayed them with Raid – rather, they
were watched and marvelled over like 7) Murphy: custom dog bed
the little miracles that they are.
page17

The Fur Person reviewed by JoAnne Davidson and Animalia reviewed by Mike Roth
The Fur Person
by May Sarton,
illust. by David Canright
Penguin Books Canada Ltd.1957
106 pp., ISBN 0-393-30131-1
soft cover.
“When he was about two years old, and
had been a Cat About Town for some
time, glorious in conquests, but rather too thin for comfort,
the Fur Person decided that it was time he settled down.”
So begins the story of Tom Jones and his journey to find
contentment in life. This story takes place in Cambridge,
Massachusetts; a friendly place with trees, gardens, porch-
es and people who interact with our hero as he goes about
finding for himself a home. Eventually he finds a staff of
two who understand and love him in the way a cat should
be loved.
There is plenty of dialogue with many interesting
words and turns of phrase, making the book easy to read
and very charming. The author, being a poet, gives Tom
Jones poetic license several times while he is telling his
tale. You will be charmed to watch Tom change from A Cat
About Town to a Gentleman Cat and finally to a Fur
Person. He has his own “Ten Commandments of a
Gentleman Cat” that guide him along the way and often
resorts to doing Yoga to calm himself.
This book would be especially fun to read for a person
who is owned by a cat. Until you have been owned by cat
or know someone who is, you would not appreciate how
they become part of your life. As the author states “ I hope
some grandmothers will read the Fur Person aloud, for it
is meant to be: it is meant to be a book for whole families
to enjoy.”
page18
NOVEL SUGGESTIONS
readers contribute their book reviews
Animalia
by Graeme Base,
illust. by Graeme Base
Irwin Publishing, 1987
10” x 13”, 32 pp., ISBN 0-7725-1668-5
hard cover.
“Within the pages of this book
You may discover, if you look
Beyond the spell of written words
A hidden land of beasts and birds”
If you ever want to sit with a child, or by yourself, and
get lost in a book, this is the one to choose. From A to Z
you will be enthralled by the intricate detail contained on
each page. The variety of animals, the vibrant colors, and
the catchy alliterations will keep you entertained for hours.
As an example, on the C page there are five large red
cats dominating the page which is headed, “Crafty Crimson
Cats Carefully Catching Crusty Crayfish”. However, the
page is filled with so much more; a myriad of fascinating
pictures, large and small each beginning with the letter C.
The author has included himself in each drawing craftily
hidden for you to find.
Graeme Base makes his home in Australia and has
written other equally interesting books that showcase his
special artistic talent. Look for The Eleventh Hour and The
Song of the Seahorse among others. The illustrations for
Animalia took more than three years to complete.
If you have seen and read this book already, it‘s fun to
revisit. If you have never opened its pages, I would
strongly encourage you to seek it out. It is a larger sized,
hard cover book absolutely bursting with visual and literary
surprises at every turn of the page. It will become a life
long friend. ca

Butch
Butch the dog was as good as can be, He wasn't that
clever nor well trained, He was a mutt through and through.
People would sometimes avoid him. But in the end, he grew
old, fat and appreciated, Butch the dog is in a better place,
joined with his mentor, Bart the lab. They will play and
bark, and sniff and run - together having fun. He will be
missed, not being there, out in the back, rolling on the lawn,
running up and down the fence, barking to his friends, But
he will be remembered and his legacy carries on. Rest easy
and enjoy your sleep Butch the dog. Love from your family
and friends and especially me.
Passed Away on: 5/3/05
Yoda
Yoda, a wise, sweet and ever so
noble creature taught Amber, her
younger stepsister cat, better grooming
habits of her head and ears. I, too, would
shower her face with kisses, but Yoda
would only just tolerate it. I think
her intention was to train Amber as
a replacement.
Yoda was diagnosed diabetic about
two and a half years before her life came to an end. With
some apprehension, I decided to undertake the two insulin
injections per day that she would require. From the start
she cooperated, often jumping up, waiting on the couch
when it was time.
After an emergency trip to the vet for insulin shock, and
having not felt ready to make a decision whether to let her
go, I brought Yoda home for another two weeks. Upon hear-
ing the brief conversation with the vet that maybe this was
‘it’, Yoda had immediately looked to me with an intense,
wide-eyed gaze which I took to mean “are we really going to
do that now?” The answer was no, not yet.
In her last months particularly, she became ever so
attuned, sitting, looking, next to me, the slightest expressions
and movements of her eyes and ears matching the slightest
of mine. There was a connection that hadn’t existed before
and I felt touched and blessed to have such a creature and
give what comfort I was able to understand she needed.
Yoda’s 17 year life ended June 7, 2005, leaving me with
experiences and memories that without her would not be
mine to cherish. Thank you Yoda. As a friend so aptly said
upon your passing - may the force be with you.
Passed Away on: 6/07/05
page19
IN PASSING
celebrating the lives of animal friends
Sara
Gone but unforgettable: our Sara, a
distinguished and joyful Australian
Shepherdess of 16 years. Abundant of
hair and sweetness; friend to all dogs,
and all people, especially older folk sitting
on benches. Chaser of rabbits; quiet
defender of the family. Eater of peanuts
and ice cream and lover of hot dogs.
Patient with children, vets and groomers.
She bore the discomforts of age with serenity, and never lost
her enthusiasm for walks and car rides. Mourned and missed
by her last two servants, Rhona and John.
Passed Away on: 4/23/05
Shaker
Perhaps, once in a lifetime, you
find a companion that exactly suits
your moods, your schedule and your
personality. Quietly watching & listen-
ing, attentively involved in everything
you are doing, he waits and greets you
when you come home, letting you know
you have been missed. When guests
arrive, he is anxious to welcome them,
get to know them and let them know that they are
important. In quiet times of relaxation he is a comfort.
You are happy because he is happy.
That companion for me was Shaker, a handsome
dude I adopted from a school teacher. A little streak of
Siamese made him call in that baby voice if he didn’t
know where I was. His blue eyes would change from dark
to light as his mood grew more relaxed. Shaker and I
moved from Denver to Calgary in October of 2000 and
settled quickly into our new home. Then as summer
came, I realized that something was not quite right with
Shaker. In October of 2001 with many tears, I laid him to
rest. His picture still graces my piano and no other cat
will ever take his place. Though it has been four years, I
still miss him very much
Passed Away in: 10/2001
Send your tributes commemorating the departure of an animal
friend to editor@creaturesall.ca with In Passing as the subject
line. Not all material received will necessarily be printed
and is subject to editing. Include ‘Passed Away on: date’.
Maximum – 100 words + 200 dpi photo.
 a
Sheldon, upon seeing Princess Fiona, displayed his most handsome colours.
of a different colour
he love affair began when our dear friend Mellodie
T introduced us to her ‘Sheldon’. This amazing
creature, we learned, did not change colour
according to background; it would not be pink on pink,
blue on blue, or explode if put on a plaid shirt, but
changed according to emotional conditions such as
excitement, contentment, stress, illness etc. Sheldon is
an “old world” or true chameleon. The sub-species are
known as Veiled Chameleons (Chameleo Calyptratus).
Several months later, at a Reptile Show, Mellodie
purchased a pretty little female for me, which we named
Princess Fiona (Shrek). We contemplated the idea of
mating our two and seeing where it would take us.
As Princess Fiona matured, robin’s egg blue spots
appeared on her beautiful emerald body indicating her
sexual maturity. In addition, brilliant mustard mark-
ings mottled her appearance. She was gorgeous.
Sheldon, upon seeing Princess Fiona, displayed his
most handsome colours of baby blue background paint-
ed with lemon yellow that blended to orange and dot-
ted with teal. No wonder she fell for him. For Sheldon,
however, he was in a new environment and therefore a
little nervous. So, Fiona had to coax him along. Once
she caught his attention he lost all inhibition.
After successfully mating, Fiona let Sheldon know
her interest in him was gone by showing her robin’s
egg blue and mustard colourations against a black
background – equally as stunning. But, when she sat
on my hand she would display her passive colours of
emerald green.
page20
by Shelley Desjardins
Chameleons are not the simplest of reptiles to care
for; some species are more difficult than others. Bringing
a clutch of eggs to the hatching stage is a rather exacting
science. However, the challenge is exciting.
Between twenty to thirty days after mating, Fiona
stopped eating and became increasingly agitated. She
displayed this by climbing up and down in her cage. It was
now time to provide a nesting site. All the books that I
read stated that moistened play-sand was the best
medium, as it would hold a tunnel well. A sixteen litre pail
with moistened sand was set in her cage and the digging
began. We would see her dig, then again she would dig,
and again she would dig.
It took a bit for it to sink in that the sand was not
holding a tunnel. Since this had been going on for several
days, I began to realize she was becoming additionally
distressed. Something had to be done and quickly. I was
able to get in contact with someone at Riverfront
Aquariums, knowledgeable with the Veiled Chameleon,
and he suggested using coconut bark. Before this could be
given to her, this soil, which came in a brick sized pack-
age, had to be soaked with hot water until it expanded
and then the excess water squeezed out until soil was just
moist. This brick sized piece made enough soil to fill that
sixteen-litre pail. No sooner was this put in her cage than
the digging started in earnest.
Soon, when we looked in to see how she was doing,
we noticed instead of a tail protruding from the
tunnel her nose was just barely showing. She was laying
her eggs!
When she finished, she meticulously
covered them back up, taking great
pains to ensure no trace of the tunnel
was left.
She was so skinny compared to
what she looked like before. Just
before laying, the eggs protruded from
under the skin near her back legs, and
the shape could be felt if they were
touched. Now, she was so slim and she
looked tired. I picked her up and hand
fed her some crickets and water,
which she accepted readily.
Now, it was time to dig up the
eggs to put them in the incubator.
Carefully the soil was removed in an
effort to expose the eggs and, this
being our first experience, we took
great care to only take a little soil at a
time. It seemed a very slow process
and just when we were about ready to
call it quits, a pearly white lump met
our gaze. We were right at the bottom
of the pail. Mellodie had come over to
help us and together we painstakingly
uncovered, picked up, and moved the
eggs into egg cartons filled with perlite
ready for incubation. The eggs were
leathery to the touch and extremely
slippery. We tried to keep the eggs
with the same side up so as to pre-
serve the air hole. Originally we
thought it would be great to get about
20 eggs, but when all were accounted
for, Fiona had laid 59 eggs. My
admiration of this tiny creature
increased tremendously upon seeing
what instinct had provided.
Next, the long wait for the eggs to
grow and hatch. This particular
species of chameleon incubates from
five to six months. The temperature
was kept at a constant eighty degrees
with humidity between eighty to one
hundred percent. Within 2 weeks
several had shriveled up and these
were removed and discarded.
However, the rest started to grow in
size and looked very healthy.
Then, the day came when the first
crack and a tiny nose sticking out of an
egg was seen. I was beside myself with
joy. This was shortly before bedtime
and I read that chameleons can take
up to 24 hours to emerge from their
eggs. So, as we got ready for bed, I
decided to take one last look to see
only the tiny head sticking out of the
egg. When I looked again, behold, the
egg was empty and I could see nothing
of a chameleon anywhere in the
incubator. I panicked. I yelled for my
page21
husband to come quickly and we
began to remove the egg cartons from
the incubator and there, hiding under
one of the bricks we had set the
cartons on, was this new little life. It
was so small and beautiful – perfect in
every way.
My fifteen-year-old son was
already in bed and I went running to
get him up. Although he acted annoyed
to be aroused from his beauty sleep,
he was holding and admiring this new
little life that had come into our
household.
Over the next 3 weeks a total of
thirty-four hatchlings were born. We
put them in the same terrarium. At
night, when the lights were off, their
emerald green forms looked like little
green flower buds waiting to open.
It was humorous to watch their
first hours and days out of the egg.
They had to learn to navigate
amongst the branches in the
terrarium. They were wobbly and
unsure. Often they would misjudge
their reach only to end upside down
dangling from a branch. Then they
had to learn how to catch their prey
- to judge how far to shoot their
tongues out and grab.
page 22➤
 One episode that stands out
clearly in my mind was one little guy
going for a cricket that was at the
bottom of the enclosure. Instead of
drawing the prey into his mouth, his
tongue stuck fast to the bottom and he
ended up sliding along the bottom of
the glass to his prey. Another time,
two babies trying to get somewhere
ended up with one hanging from the
other, like a chameleon ladder. A third
one took advantage of this
arrangement in order to climb up the
other two to his destination. I guess
when you look at it babies are babies
Angels come with messages
no matter the species. and angels come with wings.
After about two months, having Angels tell us, "Open up
continued to grow and looking very and notice bigger things".
healthy, it was time to sell them. We Angels dare and angels care.
They help us on our way.
rented a table at the Reptile Show, the But the greatest gift they give
same one where we had purchased is that they come to say,
Princess Fiona the year before. I was "All of heaven's greatest gifts
quite nervous as we went into this as I are waiting there for you.
Now spread your wings and fly, my friend,
was wondering what I would do with 'Cause that's what angels do."
thirty-four baby chameleons if they POEM © 20 02 TERRENCE DELANEY • WWW.ANGELEYEMEDIA.CA
didn’t sell. It ended up being a very
exciting two days. ‘things made with leaves’ • www.mandaleaf.com
The very first sale was the one I
will always remember. For some
reason, at that particular time, Veiled
Chameleons in Calgary were scarce. A
young boy about nine came to the
Reptile Show for the sole purpose of
purchasing a Veiled Chameleon. Prior
to the show, he had researched what
he needed to have to keep one as a
pet. He had built an enclosure, got
lighting and humidity levels up where
they needed to be and essentially had
everything prepared to bring his baby
home. His mom and dad were so
happy that they found the chameleons
and told me about the efforts they had
gone to for this. He picked the
handsomest male of the lot. If I had
not sold another one he was worth the
whole show.
My husband and I have had many
kinds of animals in our home, mostly
mammals; all were loved. But, what is
it about this lizard, with its
independent rolling eyes, technicolour
torso, hand-like feet, and prehensile
tail that so captivates us? I am not
entirely sure, but we are totally and
completely hooked. ca

page22

he Banff springs snail (Physella
T johnsoni), a species often over-
looked when one thinks about
important wildlife species in the
Rocky Mountains, has played an
integral role in the ecological integrity
of Banff National Park. Having
evolved due to the unique chemical,
geological, and biological
forces found only in the
springs on Sulphur Mountain,
this little mollusc has more
recently had to deal with a
new force that threatens its
very existence, humanity.
As a result of human dis-
turbance, the Banff springs
snail, which was once found in
nine hot springs on Sulphur
Mountain, has seen its distri-
bution drop dramatically since
1926. In 1996, researchers
and park officials set out to
determine the status and distribution
of the snail, which had not been for-
mally studied since it was discovered
in 1926. What they found was that
the snail was extirpated from four of
the original nine springs and was
facing markedly low population num-
bers in two of the remaining springs.
The reasons for the drop in the snails'
numbers and distribution are evident.
Snail populations have suffered as a
result of the fragility of the spring
environment and the impacts associated
with human use of the pools, includ-
ing disruption of the floating algae
mats (one of two places where snail
eggs have been found), trampling,
chemicals (deodorants, insect repel-
lents), and the movement of rocks
and logs in and around the springs.
Thanks in part to this new study, the
THE WILD FILE
Banff springs snail became the first
living mollusc listed by the
Committee on the Status of
Endangered Wildlife in Canada
(COSEWIC) in 1997. With the
renewed interest came efforts to pro-
tect and restore the snail to its histor-
ical distribution. Led by Dr. Dwayne
Lepitzki and the Banff springs snail
research and recovery team, recov-
ery efforts are underway to maintain
and enhance current populations, in
addition to restoring others in the
springs where they historically exist-
ed. In order to maintain long-term
viability of the snail in the springs,
recovery efforts are focusing on
the human-related impacts. Parks
Canada has issued closures of some
springs to the public, and increased
surveillance, law enforcement, and
fines to suppress further damage by
human disturbance. However, these
measures have only been focused on
two of the springs where recovery
efforts are planned, thus ignoring
another high impact zone - the Cave
and Basin National Historic Site. The
page23
the Banff springs snail
by Derek Ebner
Cave and Basin National Historic Site
contains four of the five springs
where the snail is still found. While
Parks Canada's mandate clearly
states that “Parks lands will be man-
aged to assure the protection of
indigenous and reintroduced rare,
threatened and endangered species”
(Directive 7, Management
Directives 2.4.3., Parks
Canada 1986), this is clearly
not the case when it comes to
curtailing human activity
around and in these historic
springs. As the birthplace of
Canada's park system, the
Cave and Basin National
Historic Site should set the
example of why we have
National Parks: to protect
and preserve wilderness and
wildlife for future genera-
tions. The Banff springs snail
may not have the same notoriety as
grizzlies, but it has a substantial link
to the ecological integrity of Banff and
thus, to our national heritage. ca
For further information on the Banff
springs snail (and other species at risk),
visit the following web sites:
www.cosewic.gc.ca
www.sararegistry.gc.ca
www.speciesatrisk.gc.ca
www.worldweb.com/parkscanada-banff
Derek Ebner is a Professional Biologist
and a Ph.D. student at the University of
Calgary examining the critical habitat
requirements for species at risk in
Canadian Prairies. In addition, Derek is
the Chair of the CPAWS Calgary/Banff
Chapter’s Species at Risk (SPARK)
Subcommittee.
POINTED

LESSONS
by Kevin Andrewchuk

Y
ou’d think I would have retained something
from my misspent youth growing up in the
country but when confronted with nature
at my door, I buckled. I can remember all those times
as a kid, at the Old House when dogs and porcupines
came into contact one with another. I have to admit I
am unsure as to what actually
happened to the porcupines
after the ordeal although I
have vivid memories of the
response of my dogs.
That being said, I am
brought to mind of an early
morning not too many weeks
past. I got up at the usual time,
6:30 am or so and went outside
to feed my dogs. I opened the
door and was confronted by
the saddest pair of eyes and
the most pleading expression I
had ever seen on Finnigan, our Cattle dog. Sticking
out of her face at all sorts of uncomfortable angles
were 10 or so porcupine quills. She even had a cou-
ple sticking inside of her nostrils. Well, I brought her
in and took a pair of pliers and began pulling them
all out (just as I remember my Dad doing with Rex
and Lady and Spike), all the while dwelling on two
points... where was my other dog, Casey and how
could a porcupine have gotten on my property in
the first place, as it is enclosed on all sides with
sheep fencing with a tight
6” mesh .
Once I had pulled the
quills from the now more ten-
der than ever nose of
Finnigan, I went outside to
look for Casey. It didn't take
me long to track him down
near our lilac hedge, for he
had at least 30 quills in his
face. They were up his nose, in
the roof of his mouth, in his
gums and in his tongue as well
as all over his muzzle. He was
in terrible shape, but so hyped and excited that he
was apparently oblivious to the quills; still trying to
figure a way to get at the big fat Porcupine hiding in
the hedge

page24
 Much against his will, I brought see the little pointed guy lodged in it shut, put it in the back of my truck
Casey into the house and using those that selfsame mesh. and drove him to an old abandoned
previously mentioned pliers tried to No sooner did I get to the top of farm house about 3 miles from
bring him some relief. Once that task the fence than he wiggled backwards my place and a long way from
was taken care of I locked them both and quickly turned to make a run for the highway.
inside and went out looking for the
porcupine. He remained hidden in
the hedge and showed no desire to
better expose himself for my benefit.
I couldn't just leave him and hope
he’d find his own way out because, to
the best of my knowledge, there was
no way out, despite the obvious fact
he had found his way in.
I called the Rocky View Animal
Rescue Foundation and decided to
follow their advice, which was to herd
the prickly intruder into a box and
transplant him to another area. The
lady at the foundation assured me
that, given the opportunity, a
porcupine will readily enter a box on
its own accord... something about feel-
ing safe in a dark and enclosed space.
After preparing the box I got a
broom as a
herding assis-
tant and pro-
ceeded to try
and convince
him of the wis- He did all the
dom of my plan.
Just as I per-
suaded him to
thinking for me
leave the safety
of the hedge he He proved a dickens of a challenge
made a dash for to get out of the box. His obvious think-
the fence and ing being if he kept his head buried in
tried to leap the box and unable to see me, then I,
through the 6” of course, would be unable to see him.
mesh. The I ended up very gingerly ripping the
downside of that box to pieces so that he finally was
plan was he had able and equally inclined to waddle off
a far larger than to his new home in the grove of bush,
6” girth, the poplar and spruce.
result being to The end result has been that
see him lodged Casey and Finnigan suffered no long
in the fence, apparently unable to the hedge. I did a neat dismount from term effects. I subsequently
move either ahead or backwards. my fence top perch, traded the wire discovered a spot where the land
The next evolutionary step of my cutters for the broom in one swift dropped below the fence sufficient
plan had me finding a towel to cover move, with the idea of once again to allow for a nice porcupine
his eyes and I climbing over the fence, trying to convince him of the potential sized hole.
wire cutters in hand to try and safe haven provided by the box. I've since patched the hole and
release him. It broke my heart to He did all the thinking for me and hopefully my mutts are more the
think of cutting the wires of my brand ran into the box before I had an wiser. However, if you’re a betting
new fence, but it was far harder to opportunity to plead my case. I taped person... ca

page25
page26

“We need an-
other and a
wiser and per-
haps a more mystical concept of
animals.~They are not brethren, they
are not underlings, they are other
nations; fellow prisoners of the splendor
and travail of the earth”. *
hy then do we not
W acknowledge them for who
they are? Is it because we
view them as distorted; not seeing
them as they truly are; not consider-
ing what they do or think? We see
them as we think we know them,
beings with less intelligence than
ourselves. We think we know all
about them.
In fact, we know far less than one
might think of the animals that
surround us. Of their physical,
mental and spiritual states, we only
know the physical. Only now, in the
twenty-first century, are we really
beginning to understand their mental
state and we have never bothered to
explore the mysteries of their spiritual
state. We have refused to
acknowledge as possible what our
ancestors accepted as fact. We
continue to focus primarily on their
physical state, causing some of us to
see animals as simply groups of cells
instead of the nation of individuals
that they are. Let's face it; the natural
state of animals is quite different
from their scientific state.
In my opinion, we need to be as
aware of the metaphysical state of ani-
mals as we are of their over-analyzed
scientific state. There is more
wonderment, more curiosity, and a
better comprehension of the animal's
creaturesall encourages input from young people and will enthusi-
astically consider for publication any written works dealing with
all things fur, feathers, fins, skins and scales. Persons 18 years of
age and under should type their 700 word submission (plus a 50
essence. On the flip side, too much
technical attention detracts from
these qualities and we begin to lose
our respect for them.
Consider the aboriginal people
from anywhere, anytime. They lived
off the land with little or no scientific
knowledge of the animals they shared
it with. They did not see the animals in
distortion and were therefore able to
admire and respect them as neigh-
bours. The First Nation's people
looked to animals for
guidance in
physical, men-
tal and spir-
itual mat-
ters. In
native
legend
animals
almost
always
appear as
s p i r i t
guides, a and more complete than ours
reflection of the
faith natives placed in
animals. They trusted them with their
lives and futures, while we hardly
trust them at all. Nature was more in
balance before the natives shared this
land with the white man. Since our
arrival many animals have been put on
the endangered species list.
To sum it up, in school we learn
how an animal's physical self functions
and perhaps, by focusing on only that,
lose respect for those animals. When
we see it in the wild we are able to
apply only what lessons we have been
taught - the physical aspect of their
make up. If we focus only on the
physical and forget the spiritual and
word biography) and attach to an email, with “Youth Said It”, in
the subject line. Address to editor@creaturesall.ca. The author
should also attach a head and shoulders photo of themselves as a
200 dpi tif or jpg.
page27
YOUTH SAID IT
creature concerns
by Andy Weir
mental aspects of their being the
species will be doomed. A disruption
in the ecosystem will result, affecting
how the world operates which, more
than likely, will lead to the end of
humanity.
But there is one thing that can
save us, and the rest of the world too.
“We need another and a wiser and
perhaps more mystical concept of
animals...
Remote from universal nature,
and living by complicated artifice,
man in civilization surveys the crea-
ture through the glass of his
knowledge and sees thereby a
feather magnified and the
whole image in distortion.
We patronize them for
their incompleteness, for
their tragic fate of having
taken form so far below
ourselves. And therein we
err, and greatly err. For the
animal shall not be meas-
ured by man. In a world older
they move finished and complete,
gifted with extensions of the senses
we have lost or never attained, living
by voices we shall never hear. They
are not brethren, they are not under-
lings; they are other nations, caught
with ourselves in the net of life and
time, fellow prisoners of the splen-
dour and travail of the earth.” ca
*From The Outermost House, by Henry Beston
Andy Weir is fourteen years old and
lives in Calgary, Alberta with his parents
and his dog, Wally. He enjoys playing
with and observing animals in the city,
and nearby mountains. His future plans
include becoming a paleontologist and
possibly a nature photographer.
Breaking
down
the
fences
by Janna Mariano-Groza, B.Sc. (Zool.)
hey say that to get along with
T one’s neighbours, one must
build bigger fences. But it’s hard
to live in a world of walls. And what if
we discovered we didn’t have to? In
fact, perhaps the best way to get along
with our neighbours is to break down
the fences so that we can understand
our neighbours and live alongside each
other in relative peace.
When it comes to people and pets,
we go to great lengths trying to build
walls (and develop exclusion tactics)
against wildlife when we could realisti-
cally live in harmony. However, in
order to come to such a point, we must
start by understanding how to avoid
conflicts between pets and wildlife.
Pets vs. Wildlife
At the Alberta Institute for
Wildlife Conservation (AIWC), we see
the victims of dog and cat attacks all
the time. In fact, the most common
cause of injury to the young mammals
who arrive is due to dog attacks.
Meanwhile, the leading cause of injury
to incoming songbirds is the cat attack.
In one case, AIWC was host to a
wild turkey who had been attacked by
a dog. She lost the majority of her
page28
The idea of “pets”
is a foreign concept
to any creature
living in the
natural world.
feathers from her back down to
her legs, she sported the most
horrendous bruises and suffered from
puncture wounds, some of which
were over 10cm deep. She lived, but
many don’t.
Although it’s sad to see the pain
through which the wildlife suffers,
what’s more upsetting is that these
conflicts are avoidable. The best part
about the solution: it’s easy! When
walking dogs, pet owners can benefit
wildlife by keeping away from known
wildlife areas, or at the very least to
keep the dog leashed and controlled at
all times. Cat owners could also do
both wildlife and their pet justice by
keeping their cats indoors. This
protects the young hares, bats and
songbirds, reduces the cat’s risk of
being in conflict with other cats and
dogs, and there’s no way a cat indoors
can be hit by a car. Benefits for wildlife
can be benefits for pets as well!
Wildlife vs. Pets
Wildlife attacks on pets, though
rare, are certainly well-publicized. In
Alberta, the coyote has stirred up
much anxiety. Truth be told, the
handsome coyote is a shy, opportunistic
and stealthy canine. However, babies’ antics when they came out of the den to explore
they, like all other animals, their surroundings. However, this year would be different
must eat, defend their territory, because, one day, neither parent came back. Later
and raise their children. The research found that other landowners had been setting out
idea of “pets” is a foreign rat poison, thus leading to the
concept to any creature living suspicion that the parents may
in the natural world. Thus, have been inadvertent victims of
cats left unattended are seen as an alternate the bait.
source of food when wild prey becomes scarce. With no parents, the whole
To a coyote, inquisitive dogs are seen as family would have been
fellow canines attempting to intrude into hard- destroyed if it had not been for
earned territory. the curiosity of the landowner’s
So how can pets cope with dog. Wandering further than
native wildlife? Again, it’s up usual, the dog discovered the
to their owners to play the orphans. Seeing the helpless
double role of educated forms, the dog’s maternal
interpreters and responsible instincts kicked in and, to the
caregivers. Protecting pets is owner’s surprise, they soon
as simple as keeping them found a wet, dog-bathed fox kit in their home! Knowing
away from wildlife where the kit was possibly found, the owners returned to
corridors, avoiding walking dogs at peak wildlife times discover that there was one other hungry baby, and one
(dawn and dusk), and by providing safe, well monitored dead kit. They carefully caught the surviving orphan and
areas in which pets can play. phoned AIWC so that the kits could once more enjoy a
successful future in the wild.
A Step in the Right Direction
Although the situation between pets and wildlife seems Living in Harmony
to be largely negative, the majority of situations are usually In the end, it’s understanding and respect that will help
ones in which the wildlife avoids both people and pets. Birds us to live in harmony with our neighbours. And, with
fly away, while mammals flee deeper into the bush to avoid responsible pet ownership skills, we can all sit back, relax
being seen. It’s only when we invade too deeply into wildlife and truly enjoy the abundant beauty that surrounds us in
territory that conflicts arise. However, when pets and this fabulous country. ca
wildlife do meet, sometimes positive outcomes occur.
This spring, a pair of foxes gave birth to three kits on a For more information, or to participate in our ‘Walk on the
local Alberta farm. They had raised families on the land Wild Side’ Guided Tours, please call AIWC at 946-2361 or visit
annually and the farmers were always amused by the our website at: www.aiwc.ca

page29
 THE FINAL WORD
the weeping camel
by Peggy Voth, MSW RSW

Last night my husband and I watched the National humming faint chords. She hears the strands of sound,
Geographic film, “The Story of the Weeping Camel.” Set in cocks her head, settles down a bit.
the stark landscape of Mongolia’s Gobi Desert, brutal The musician takes the instrument off the camel and
windstorms contrast with the gentleness of the people. begins to play. The young woman who coached the birthing
Isolated in a gray world, these people dress themselves in stands beside the camel, stroking the mother’s neck and
rich fabrics, blanket their camels with pads of intricate singing softly with the music. As the song progresses, the
handiwork, and fill their round dwellings with colorful wall mother becomes more and more quiet, and then tears roll
hangings, beautiful floor coverings and family warmth. out of her eyes and down her cheeks. Her heart opens.
They also listen to the unseen cadences of nature, of life, The calf is brought to her. She nuzzles her baby, makes soft
of emotion. sounds to it, nurses it.
The film covers the tribe’s camel-calving season. The I thought, “Oh my goodness. Why don't we do
last camel to go into labor is having her first baby. The something like that for human mothers who remain distant
birth is difficult, and she needs help. A young mother from their babies?” In our culture, we know how to keep a
coaches the men as they deliver the calf, instructing them body alive; healing a heart is an altogether different matter.
to work with the rhythm of the camel’s contractions. It’s true for each of us that in our wounded moments—
Sitting there with bated breath, I witness the traumatic those times when pain dulls our eyes and locks up our
miracle of birth. My heart understands when the mother hearts—we need human touch, patience and sensitive
rejects her baby. My heart also breaks in the face of the songs more than we need answers, advice or a diagnosis.
calf’s yearning for its mother, If you’re concerned about someone who doesn’t seem to be
its many attempts at accept- doing very well right now, perhaps the best thing you can
ance and its repeated do is sit with them and listen to music. Be with them in any
rejection. way that “seek(s) not to be understood so much as to
The people of understand …” ca
the tribe watch
the mother
c l o s e l y,
acknowledge
the difficul-
ty of her
bir thing
experi-
ence,
try
many
ways to
help her
accept her
calf. Nothing
works. They hear the sounds of
her lonely grieving. They see her separating
herself from the herd, and from them. She
turns mean.
At last, the people fetch a musician from a
different tribe. He comes with a stringed
instrument. The estranged mother camel is brought
to camp, hobbled, tied to a post and flanked by several
people in order to keep her still enough for the musician
to hang his instrument from one of her humps. Lying
against her side, the instrument catches the wind,
Seminars and Demonstrations – All Types and Sizes of Pets

page32