Spirit of the Wild Dog: The world of wolves, coyotes, foxes, jackals and dingoes

Abstract

Sometimes small events can have lasting impact. For Lesley Rogers, this was seeing a wild dog for the first time. It was many years ago, at dusk and in South Australia. The first sighting had been fleeting and might have forgotten as a case of mistaken identity if it had not been seen a second time. The dog appeared suddenly on a sloping hillside, looked around and then, with a number of leaps, disappeared into its den. Seeing it enter his den showed beyond all doubt that this special animal was wild, living independently of humans. In the diminishing light Lesley had seen a free spirit, and, for a moment, experienced an aspect of dogs she had not even imagined before, despite a life-long and deep association with pet dogs. When Gisela Kaplan was nine years old her grandmother took her to the zoo in Berlin. On a footpath, very nearly underfoot, there was a little fox pup. It was tied to a fence post with an incongruously large chain, and it was all on its own. The fox pup was lying on its side, eyes closed. Gisela's grandmother said: 'Come on, you can pat the fox. It will probably like it, but be gentle.' Overjoyed, Gisela crouched down and patted the fox. The fur was so soft, so fluffy, and underneath it she could feel the fox breathing. She was mesmerised when the fox first opened its large beautiful eyes, then lifted its head, turned it and slowly and deliberately licked her hand. She decided that this was the most beautiful and loving animal she had ever met (not that she had met many at this young age) but a very deep, heart-wrenching sorrow came over her almost instantly. The sorrow was a mix of knowing that there was nothing she could do to free it of the chains weighing heavily on its tiny neck. She wanted to take it with her. She wanted it to be free and respected instead of ignored.