Image by Elsemargriet from Pixabay
Since I was a young child, it has been hammered into my head that humans share the planet with wildlife. This has given me a base of kindness and conservation for nature’s intricate ecosystems. In college my field of study was aquatic biology. Each summer, a group of students traveled to the far northern reaches of Canada and studied the migratory patterns of water species, including birds.
One cloudy July morning we were trudging through marshland in our hip boots (no, not fashionably hip) and came upon a nest of ducklings that looked like Brown-braided eiders, a species long thought to be extinct. As they had never seen humans before they had no fear of us, sitting snuggled together without any concern.
Our first thought was to start snapping pictures with our phones, to send out to the world, but Ophelia spoke up and said, “Wait! Before we decide to tell the world these precious ducks are not extinct, we need to ask ourselves if that is a secret better left kept.”
I was confused and asked, “Why is that, Ophelia?”
“Knowing what we know about humans, what might happen if their existence is known?”
Bernie said, “A herd of scientific types will take the redeye to get here and tramp and stumble through their habitat. Then one will want to take a duckling for scientific study.”
I said, “I see what you guys are getting at. My vote is to let them be, without human interference.”
The group took a vote and decided to leave them in peace.
The End.
Fandango’s FOWC is base, the Word of the Day Challenge is cloudy, Paula’s 3 Things Challenge words are hammer, braid, Canada , and Teresa’s Haunted Wordsmith’s Daily Prompt is the photo.
Tao Talk 
What a nice ending. Nature should be left to live freely without any interference from humans. “Look but don’t touch.”
Beautiful story!
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Thank you, Beckie :)
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informed
democracy :-)
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:)
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I really enjoyed the moral of this story! :)
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I’m very happy to hear it :)
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:)
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A good story. Let the live in peace.
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Never reveal your source :) this story is a rule for living by and fits so well with Tao (among others)
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:)
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Wonderful story Li, and totally just. Mankind is in the habit of stomping along destroying habitat, then the duckings who have no fear would never have a moments peace and would learn fear and to resent humans.
Reminds me of that tribe off india, the Sentinelese living on North Sentinel Island. There is no need to disturb them or rape their culture and yet it took a missionary thinking he could change their ways to die to yet again prove there is most assuredly no need for things to be done just because they can.
Another example as crude as it is, if it aint broke, don’t fix it.
Nice story.
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Thank you, Rory. Human arrogance knows no bounds, and it’s going to bite them big time.
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Yes it is, the biggest bite they’ll ever receive :)
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Reblogged this on A Guy Called Bloke and K9 Doodlepip! and commented:
Moral of this story ‘if it aint broke, don’t fix it’, great story by li :)
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Thanks, Rory :)
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Never a problem Li :)
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Ahhh wise decision…don’t mess with the little ducklings! Good reminder! :)
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Thanks :)
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