Confrontation

We met him as we came to the point where the trail dropped down into the ravine, not a dog but a full-grown coyote. For a few seconds, just long enough for me to take his picture, he stood and confronted us, before turning and slipping away into the woodland.

I don't know why this memory came to me this morning but I do find that meeting wild animals on foot is one of life's great experiences. In the times we have been to Tanzania and Namibia, we've always been keen to join walking safaris, though many reserves and game parks are not anxious to provide them.

Meeting wild animals is what our ancestors did. Coping with the sudden surge of fear, the urge to turn and run, is how they survived.

The coyote we saw in the ravine wasn't in the wilderness but in a residential area of Edmonton, Alberta, one of three we encountered within a few days. The one in this picture crossed the lawn in front of the house at breakfast time.

The residents are understandably anxious about the intrusion of these wild animals, particularly when they have children, but I like the idea that our young people learn to live with beasts which may be dangerous rather than having the attitude that they need to be exterminated.