Anger in nature

Anger in Nature Earl Plato
Righteous anger? What are you talking about, Plato? I want to give you another view of one of our so-called gentle animals. In nature what animals erupt into an offensive mood if their young are threatened? That’s right - the mother - the female of a species. What would turn the normally passive nature of a cottontail mother into an aggressive protector? Is it right for a mother rabbit to be angry, even ferocious, when their young are in danger? Of course. Following is a true scenario of such a case from nature writer, Ed Teale. “At the edge of the yard on this farm, a mother rabbit had made her nest. One day, as the owner of the farm looked that way he saw a cottontail catch sight of a large blacksnake weaving through the grass toward the fur-lined depression containing her young. On that instant she bounded to meet the advancing serpent. When she was almost upon it she leaped into the air passing over the snake and lashing out with her hind feet. The serpent writhed and struck blindly. Again and again the mother cottontail attacked raking the serpent’s body with the claws of its hind feet. Long red scratches appeared on the shining length of the blacksnake. Whenever it swung toward the nest the cottontail - usually so timid. usually so peaceful - renewed her “hit-and-run” attack. They ended only when the bleeding reptile crawled away - leaving the baby cottontails unharmed within their nest.”
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Writer’s Note: Since my reason article about snakes I have had calls about them. Have you seen a blacksnake lately? They are not common locally and not venomous. At the Virginia Live Animal Center several years ago a large blacksnake, over three feet long, was passed to me by one of the Grade Six students present. It was a beautiful specimen almost nineteen years old we were told by the staff curator. In turn after I admired it I passed it on. Dry and cool in our hands, yes. All four of us Canadians - Earl, Bud, Harold, and Ed held the impressive snake. This was the same kind of snake that eats birds’ eggs in tree nests and yes, little rabbits. Mothers are there to deter them if they can. Thank goodness for good mothers, eh.