In case you ever wondered, those Zulu words translated from the Disney song mean "Here comes a lion, Father. Oh yes, it's a lion." While this is not a tale of a lion, it is about one of the moments when my sweet and precious poodle, Atticus, becomes a hunter.
This past weekend, Atticus' killer instincts kicked in, and he caught (and ate) one of the white-tailed doves in the yard. As an avid bird-watcher, it broke my heart a little bit when I saw the damage Atticus had done. I can only hope the bird was already injured or sick, making it easier for Atticus to catch the dove. However, I know Atticus does have some skill catching little creatures, so I wouldn't put it past him to catch a completely healthy bird.
Normally, I would try to stop the incident and discourage my dog from attacking the birds (why couldn't he catch one of the rats or even a squirrel instead?), but by the time I realized what had happened, I knew the bird was already dying, and I didn't want him to completely go to waste. So, I let Atticus eat the bird. Thankfully, the bird was not wasted. Only a few feathers were left as evidence of what took place. I can only hope this attack improved Atticus' skill to catch vermin, and didn't leave him with a hankering for more poultry.
Since this story is a bit depressing, I thought it would be good to close with some beautiful things in the garden recently, and a nice zinnia bouquet to honor the fallen feathered friend.
