The mourning of a polar bear mother
Feb 15th, 2009 | By mervi | Category: Featured articles15.02.2009 by T.F. Emmiot – from UliS, Translation into English by Brit
The long farwell from a dead child
It came creeping. While playing with her brother the polar bear girl more and more often had to take a break to rest. While pushing to the milk of the mother soon she was pushed aside by him without resisting. Mother got up to ly down very near to her and even pushed helping her with her big paw closer to her teats. But the little one just was lying there looking apathetic over the wide landscape of the arctic tundra. She enjoyed the first rays of the sun, which warmed her fur. But this also couldn´t give new power to her. Than the morning came on which she just stayed lying down. Her mother and her brother made a few steps away and as she didn´t follow them they came back. The mother nudged her with her snout again and again. “Come on, peewee, make an effort” she seemed to say. The polar bear girl turned round on her stomach, tried to get up – in vain. Exhausted she turned to the side and closed her eyes. Relax, just relax. The end came two days later during her sleep.
Now mother and son could have continue their migration, because the law of nature says, that animals don´t know sorrow. But the mother bear didn´t have any intention to leave her dead baby. She was sitting at her side starring at her all the time. The son was clinging on her as if he wanted to comfort her. The dead body froze to the cold earth, the mother once again went there, sniffed and sank down into the snow.
Two days, two nights. Than she got up, went together with her son for a last time to her dead daughter and finally turned away. As she wiped her paw over her face it looked like she wanted to dry her tears.
Now the duty was calling – because the second youngster claimed his rights for life.
von T.F. Emmiot
Englische Übersetzung von Brit
Die Trauer einer Eisbärmutter
Der lange Abschied von einem toten Kind
Es war schleichend gekommen. Beim Spielen mit dem Bruder musste das Eisbärenmädchen immer öfter eine Pause machen, um sich auszuruhen. Und beim Drängen an die Milch der Mutter ließ es sich von ihm bald fast widerstandslos beiseite schieben. Seine Mutter stand dann auf, legte sich nahe zu ihm und schob es sogar mit ihrer großen weißen Pranke näher an ihre Zitzen. Aber die Kleine lag einfach nur da und blickte teilnahmslos über die weite Landschaft der arktischen Tundra. Sie genoss die ersten Strahlen der Frühjahrssonne, die ihr wärmend auf den Pelz schienen. Aber auch das konnte ihr keine neue Kraft geben. Dann kam der Morgen an dem sie einfach liegenblieb.
Ihre Mutter und ihr Bruder gingen ein paar Schritte, und als sie nicht folgte, kehrten sie um. Die Mutter stupste sie mit der Schnauze an – wieder und wieder. „Komm, Kleine, gib dir einen Ruck“, schien sie zu sagen. Das Eisbärmädchen drehte sich auf den Bauch, versuchte sich hochzustemmen – vergeblich. Erschöpft sank es auf die Seite und schloß die Augen. Ausruhen, nur ausruhen. Das Ende kam zwei Tage später im Schlaf. Jetzt hätte die Mutter mit dem Sohn eigentlich weiterziehen müssen, denn das Naturgesetz sagt, daß Tiere keine Trauer kennen. Doch die Bärin wich nicht von der Seite ihrer toten Tochter. Sie saß bei ihr und starrte sie unverwandt an. Ihr Sohn drängte sich an sie, als wolle er ihr Trost schenken. Der Leichnam gefror auf der kalten Erde, die Mutter ging noch einmal zu ihm, schnupperte und ließ sich wieder in den Schnee sinken. Zwei Tage, zwei Nächte. Dann erhob sie sich, ging mit ihrem Sohn ein letztes Mal zu ihrer Tochter und wandte sich entgültig ab. Als sie sich mit ihrer Pfote über das Gesicht wischte, sah es aus, als wolle sie ihre Tränen trocknen. Jetzt rief die Pflicht – denn das zweite Junge forderte sein Recht auf Leben.
von T.F. Emmiot
How can anybody believe that the animals don’t have feelings? Of course this mom suffered a lot with your little daughter loss. So sad!
Animals experience a range of “emotions” and they feel grief and happiness. One day man will push aside his arrogance and understand that all sentient beings have feelings which we should honour with love and compassion. Our prayers help animals as I have discovered in the most hopeless and extreme cases when nothing tangible could be done to heal a wound or save a life. I have had the spirit of one euthanised stray cat come back to say “Goodbye” to his companion Belinda two hours after he had been released from this world.
She saw him and began reacting oddly as she stared into the space where he used to be. But we have to be open to lateral worlds to understand the life force energy and how it manifests at the quantum level.
What a touching story…thanks for sharing.
These images are so heartbreaking. That’s right Luisa, how can anybody believe that animals don’t have feelings, simply because they cannot ‘speak’ . Celinne, I am in total agreeance with your eloquent and insightful words, which you have expressed so beautifully.
Wow, what a touching story. Thanks to Mervi, Brit and Ulli for bringing this to us.
Celinne…what you wrote was gorgeous! We can’t really know what is going on, humans make a lot of assumptions about everything. Thank you.
I recently read a story about a cat who was treated by a homeopathic practitioner for grief. Before the treatment, she would not let anyone touch her and refused to eat anything but unhealthy food. Afterwards, she became very approachable, loving and hungered after a healthy cat diet. So what does this tell us?
For our own part, I am thankful for these animal stories. they offer us opportunities to process our own sense of loss, fear and grief. It’s hard sometimes isn’t it?
I agree with you all. The human beings always think they KNOW – but this and and many other true stories confirm that we know very little. We should listen more to the animals – they have so much to teach us if we only have open minds to learn something!
Celinne – Thank you for your beautiful comment!
You are very welcome, Paula, Betsyd and Mervi. There is so much we still have to learn from the animals. Without them I would never have understood or practiced unconditional love. How can I ever say “Thank You” to them for such a priceless gift ?
This is such a sad sad story and such sad photos.
Celinne, very well said. We are forever indebted to our little brothers for what they teach us.
Thank you Brit for your translation. BH. Leaf