Requiem For A Red Squirrel

Yu-Ling lays stretched out on the windowsill. His head hangs forlornly over the edge, and if ever a cat could look sad, he does. It has been three days now since we have seen Dancer, the red squirrel who lives in the spruce tree next to the cabin. We are afraid she has fallen victim to a marten, fisher, or coyote. On the last day that we saw her, she had taken a dried apricot from my hand. It was a big moment… having finally gained her trust. We always worry about whether our human interaction with these small creatures makes them more vulnerable – but there is no evidence that her demise happened anywhere near the cabin. We have to accept that we live in a wilderness habitat, and squirrels are the natural prey for larger predators. Even so, we miss Dancer. She brightened our winter days.

... P. L. Morningstar

Yu-Ling and Dancer eye to eye.

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