Why Do They Do This?


It's always puzzles me that most animals nearing the end of their lives like to take themselves to a corner of this earth away from all others in order to die in darkness and peace.
Last night , during a rainstorm I shut all of the animals up in their houses as usual.
I hadn't checked if all were occupied...I presumed that they were.
Bingley never wandered more than ten feet away from his green painted home, he never needed to.
This morning, as usual, I opened them all up again only to find Bingley's house silent and empty.
Sometime yesterday, he had taken himself off to some bush or ditch somewhere in the field, even though his legs were shaky and his balance was off.
I searched for him , but I could find nothing . Not even a feather to signal that a fox or the nightly badger sows had found him . But the hawthorn hedges are now overgrown in their summer green and I would need a machete to search for him properly.

And so, I decided to leave well alone, it was his time to wander off to die.
That's the nature of things


51 comments:

  1. I'm sorry, John. I hope it was quick, I hope it was peaceful. The chances of that may not be good, given Nature's nature, but I hope it was those things.

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  2. So sorry about that, but I guess it was his time.
    I think people used to retreat as well when it was their time, but now we stick them in a hospital or nursing home and keep them going--whether they want it or not.

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  3. sweet bingley. the animals know when to go quietly. :(

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  4. Sorry to read about Bingley this morning. I know you were attached to him as I expect all of us here were too. He was an interesting character in your menagerie. Bless his little heart, I will miss him!

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  5. We had a flip side of this recently when Cassidy started limping around. Since she did not go off to hide, we assumed/hoped that meant it was not serious. As it turned out, it was not serious and resolved itself without intervention.
    Perhaps animals have a sense of dignity that moves them to do the last thing they do in privacy?

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  6. That is sad, John but I know it's nature. Still, I hope you do find him to say good-bye.

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  7. All First Peoples will tell you that it must be so for them also. They think it right that you are born alone and it is right that you die alone.

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    1. I'm pretty certain my mother was there when I was born.

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    2. yup, and even my dad!

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    3. Hell, these days the whole Whanau (family) is there!!

      Jo in Auckland, NZ

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  8. I think we all knew this was coming but it is still sad. But he had a wonderful life with you and your gang of funny and interesting animal friends.

    cheers, parsnip

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  9. Sorry but such is life. You said it was fading and I have seen that here.

    I hope that I am lucky and am able to wander off and die in peace.

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  10. You're having a rough week John, hope it improves soon.

    I think animals, and people if given the choice, want some dignity and the privacy to let go of life in their own way.

    R.I.P. Bingley

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  11. I will miss Bingley....fly with the angels.

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  12. I hope you find him and know what happened. You need a holiday…not long now! XX

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  13. i plan on going the same way.

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  14. I understand how things might want to scuttle off to shuffle off. I often hope for that choice myself. I don't mind the idea of a fox making use of me afterwards, either.

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  15. If I come back as a turkey in the next lifetime, I hope you will be around somewhere and I can be your turkey because you really know how to give a turkey a good life.

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  16. Farewell to Bingley! Not the Yorkshire town near Bradford but to Wales's most famous turkey!...Or will he surprise us all and return for one last shot at life? As it says on those yellow car stickers "A turkey is for life not just for Christmas".

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  17. A sad fact of life, I fear. A good life, lived with zest, I hope.

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  18. I hope as others have said it was quick, and preferably clean.
    I sometimes think I would like to just quietly creep away when my time comes.

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  19. Poor Bingley, we hope it was quick and peaceful.

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  20. I am so sorry. Rest in Peace, Bingley .. you were a good boy.

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  21. I know I'm wrong, but wouldn't it be grand if he showed up in a couple of days, supported by a friend and a quarter of a bottle of gin?

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  22. Anonymous11:20 pm

    Maybe he might turn up...

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  23. Anonymous12:49 am

    A last fling before the eternal 'lights out'? I'm sure he appreciated your respecting his wishes.

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  24. Sweet Bingley. . . . . . a much better way than ending up on a platter. I always feel for the Thanksgiving turkeys over here - I've not indulged (and even make my own little casserole dish of non-turkey stuffing) since becoming a vegetarian 37 years ago!
    R.I.P. sweet gobbler.

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  25. Anonymous1:27 am

    Dylan Thomas wrote:

    Do not go gentle into that good night,
    Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
    Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

    Bingley did what was right for him and you, he went gently.

    Goodnight Bingley.

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  26. I think animals leave the group to die so they don't endanger the others by drawing in predators.

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  27. Anonymous3:38 am

    So sorry about Bingley.

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  28. So sorry John, Bingley was a big character in your story that of which we have all come to love.

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  29. Oh dear... poor old Bingers. RIP (if indeed he has gone).

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  30. Are humans the only ones that resist, fight and scream at the inevitable? Are we the only ones that fear death?

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    1. Of course not, or no rabbit would ever dodge a fox and keep on dodging. Any animal that feels good will fight death. The only ones who don't are those who feel so bad already that they are too weak to fight.

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  31. Gobble Free, Mr Bingley. I hope there are many sexy lady turkeys where you have gone.

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  32. RIP Bingley ..... if indeed you are gone.

    They chose their time and their place and in one way or another slip back into nature.

    He had a wonderful life with you.

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  33. It's the not knowing what happened that's the hard part. Knowing whether he was able to just drift away or met a horrible end due to some opportunist predator.
    That happened to my very elderly cat some years ago. We were debating the inevitable trip to the vet but he wandered off by himself to die. We found him the next day having been badly beaten up by other cats - probably all getting their own back when he could no longer fight back. I shall never forget the look in his eyes as we took what was left of him to the vet to be put out of his misery. It was heartbreaking and I vowed I would never again hesitate to do the right thing by a pet, however hard it is.

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  34. Poor Bingley. Maybe he will turn up again?

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  35. So sorry John, Bingley will always be remembered x

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  36. Heavy-heart time again! Dear, dearest Bingley - bless you.

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  37. Oh, poor Bingley. Animals know when it's time, and it's hard not to respect their desire to be alone.

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  38. I am not a clever arse! but time and again I saw patients who were near death somehow wait for their loved ones to go or get them to get something from a shop - whatever. So if you missed that special moment when your loved one died, that is probably what they wanted. Bingley too. Bless them all.

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  39. Sorry for your loss, John. Bingley didn't want you to worry. Take care.

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  40. A turkey that gets rescued by the Heimlich, after eating an Italian biscotti, and then eating a mince pie in one go afterwards - that's a turkey that led a GOOD life. So long Bingley!

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  41. That's the way to go. I hope I go with as little trouble to those who love me. Vale Bingley.

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  42. It's the not knowing that's maddening. I hope you get a sign that he's all right, wherever he is. When Grace wandered off to die, I asked for a sign that she was all right. I didn't care what it was, I just wanted to know that it was her sign that she was okay. It came about a week later and though I missed her terribly and still do, I know she's all right.

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  43. Poor Bingley, he had a good life with you!

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