this side of the blue

Mom was telling me about something she was watching on the Discovery Channel last night. in the 1970’s these people raised a lion cub as a domesticated animal (this was before all the crazy laws that stopped allowing that!) i think they lived in London! they kept him until he was about a year old, and treated him like a normal pet when he was still a cub - taking him for rides in the car and stuff like that. sounds pretty cute. well, when he got to be about a year old, they realized he was far too big and wild, plus it was much too costly for them to keep caring for him, so they decided to let him go in a jungle somewhere in Africa. naturally it was very hard, and sad, but they knew it was for the best.

about a year after they released him, they decided to go back to the spot where they let him go and see if he’d still be there and stuff. so they went back and called his name. not only did he show up but he was REALLY happy to see them. the way Mom was describing it to me reminded me of Simon when we come home after work—all jumping around excited, licking them, bumping his head against them, and even putting his big paws on their shoulders as a way of “hugging” (oww!). it sounds so amazing, and really sweet. you would think that after a year it would be different, he’d be all wild again and his instincts would keep him away from them, but not so.

it reminded me of this bit in Out of Africa i read. Karen adopts a young bush buck antelope named Lulu, and when Lulu gets to be about a year old or so (fully grown), she leaves on her own accord. well, once she leaves, it's like a turning point. she never comes back to the household like it is her own anymore, nor does she allow anyone to come near her. but she does come and stand at the edge of the forest/beginning of the yard morning after morning, and stares at the house. just stands there and stares. Karen would stand there and look back at her. if she tried to approach her Lulu would run off, so they would each just stand there at a respectable distance looking at one another. eventually, Lulu starts bringing her little fawns along for the visits, and the fawns come up to Karen and let her pet them. i think this went on for several generations, even after Lulu dies. her fawns still would come to Karen’s house, and bring their young, and etc. it was really, really neat. nature is so awesome. everyone reading this should go out and get a copy of Out of Africa. an amazing book indeed!!

anyway, i think the documentary Mom was watching is based on a book, so i added it to my “TO READ” list.: )