Wild animals will always stay wild

Since the spring has been producing such unpredictable weather I have been steadily complaining about thunderstorms and heavy rain. I do want to say that, as I write, the sun is shining beautifully from a clear blue Muskoka sky, the shadows are deep across in the woods, the lake is still and calm and I can imagine the beavers moving slowly about enjoying all the aspen branches that they stored in the fall.

Of course, the patches of wonderful sunshine are a reminder of a soon-to-be summer and that we are once again busy 24-7 feeding baby creatures. The first volunteers from Europe have arrived and they are busy cleaning, feeding, warming, getting it all done and beginning once more — with no complaints.

“Don’t the babies imprint on the person feeding them?” We are asked the question often, generally by humans who have very little experience with wildlife. Perhaps human babies imprint (I don’t know much about them) but animals are designed to spend a certain amount of time with the parent and then, automatically, break the tie to go live independently in the wild.

A human has to work hard, and somewhat carelessly, to cause imprinting in a wild creature. Some humans do, I realize, but imprinting is not an inevitable consequence of rehabilitation. Over all the years I’ve at least learned that.

Each of the beavers who live in the lake by my house is a kit which I have brought up — bottles at least six times a day, 24-7 — from one- or two-week-old kits. A beaver stays with its family for two years; two years and then the beavers swim away. In the days, weeks and months that follow, I may see them swimming by but they absolutely and totally ignore me. I suspect they know who I am, because if someone is with me, they simply do not show up or they give their trail a severe slap and disappear.

Years ago, before experience happened, I worried about imprinting. The first bear cub I raised had been bottle fed since he was less than a week old. He had to stay in the house with me and the dogs until he was old enough and spring had come. Even then I took him for long walks in the bush and he bounced around a good deal. But he followed where I went and came home with me. Always.

The time came for his release; a good friend took him far north. He took with him enough camping gear to last at least a week. The first night of camping the bear took off into the bush. He must have liked it because he never came back again. His friend stayed one more night, called and offered food, but with no result. We were able to do a little follow up. The bear is just fine and living independently.

The next two little cubs I raised followed the same pattern. This time we took them so far into the bush that a friend with an airplane flew them in. He was to come back a week later to pick up the humans. The first night the bears took off. The next six days the humans spent waiting for the plane.

Though I have raised many since, I always remember the first ones. When I was still working alone at the sanctuary, I raised three tiny coyotes. Finally they were big enough to go out into an enclosure and finally they were big enough to climb my fence and get out. (Tony and the staff build the fences now — they are much better at it than I was.) One of the coyotes developed a friendship with Laddie, a collie dog I had then.

I would see the coyote come to the edge of the meadow, wait until Laddie trotted out and greet him nose to nose. They then trotted away into the bush, would be gone about an hour and then come back. I could see them lying in the sunshine up on the hillside. After awhile Laddie came home and the coyote disappeared into the bush. This continued for about three years. Under no circumstances could I coax that coyote to come near to me. I even tried explaining that it was I who had given him numerous bottles when he was a pup. That meant nothing whatsoever to him.

Raccoons are clever. If you are willing to be used as a food supply, they will use you. Skunks will totally ignore you. Foxes forsake you. However, imprinting is not part of the procedure. Wild animals like to be wild.

Visiting hours at the Aspen Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, near Rosseau, are Wednesday afternoon and Sunday afternoon from 1 to 4 p.m. For more information call 705-732-6368.