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Injured birds - how can they rip my heart out so much??
Mountains
Veteran
Just coming home from the DIY store (third trip of the day to put up four Roman shades...). I noticed what appeared to be an injured male cardinal sitting in the center turn lane of a four lane thoroughfare. As I whizzed by at traffic speed, I swear he made eye contact with me. I drove on, heart sunk to my knees, for another quarter mile or so before I had to turn around and go back. There he was, apparently having been at least glanced by a car, stunned, in the middle of a busy road. I've done enough wildlife rehab to know there's little or nothing that can be done for such an animal (the nearest rehab is a 90 minute drive in any event), but I *couldn't* just leave him there, terrified and probably dying, with cars roaring by in both directions. So I pulled off into a parking lot, got out and picked him up, and put him over into a bunch of bushes behind a building. I couldn't see any obvious injuries like a broken wing upon cursory examination, but he was clearly shaken up. I pray he'll be okay and after he recovers his senses will go on his merry way and have some babies. But if not, I guess at least he'll die (or be eaten by a cat) somewhere besides the middle of a busy road.
I don't know how a 45 g bird can rip my heart out like that...
Mtns
I don't know how a 45 g bird can rip my heart out like that...
Mtns
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Comments
I speak from experience, having been heartbroken many times by injured/dying animals. But it's changing for me, I'm seeing/feeling the larger flow more.
Would it make more sense if it weighed a little more and looked like a peoples? :P
It was nice of you to take him to a quiet spot where he could hopefully die in peace.
I've cared for 2 road casualty city pigeons at home - both found injured at the side of roads on different occasions. The vets here will patch up wild creatures for free, so I got treatment for them first. Lovely gentle birds - I was a little sad to see them fly away when they'd finally recovered.
No reason not to care for other creatures in the same way that we would humans. Personally I've always thought of birds and animals as my brothers and sisters since I was a child.
This is exactly how I feel as well. That's part of the reason why I'm a vegetarian
I understand where you're coming from. I think I agree with you, if you're saying that you'd still help an injured animal if you came accross one, just without so much emotional attachment.
Personally I don't understand how people can drive (or walk) past injured animals and NOT help, it just seems the obvious thing to do. I was driving behind someone who ran over a cat once, I was shocked and upset to think that they didn't care enough to even stop. If that was me I'd find it hard to forgive myself. (I stopped and moved the cat to the side of the road myself, but unfortunately it hadn't survived the impact).